A shooting at Donald Trump‘s campaign rally Saturday evening in Butler, Pennsylvania, injured three people, including the former president, and killed one attendee, prompting an outpouring of support for the victims and their families, with GoFundMe donations surpassing $3.36 million within 24 hours from two separate campaigns.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was speaking at his rally in Butler on Saturday evening when he was shot on stage, with a bullet hitting the upper part of his right ear. The former president was then seen grabbing his ear with blood coming down his face as security agents descended.
A spokesperson for Trump’s campaign said on Saturday that the former president was “fine” and was “being checked out at a local medical facility.” Trump was released from the hospital later that night.
Police identified the other victims of the shooting as 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, who were critically injured, but are in stable condition as of Sunday afternoon. The shooting killed 50-year-old former firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was shot while shielding his daughter from the gunfire.
The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was neutralized by security agents after firing rounds off the roof of a nearby building. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has classified the shooting as an assassination attempt.
Meanwhile, there has been an outpouring of support in response to the tragic event.
On Saturday, Meredith O’Rourke, a senior Trump adviser and the national finance director of his 2024 presidential campaign, launched a “President Trump Authorized” GoFundMe page in support of the victims and their families. The fundraising effort aimed to reach a goal of $1 million, but as of Sunday evening has smashed that, surpassing $2.8 million.
The donation site has received over 37,000 individual donations. Notable top donations of $50,000 have come from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White, singer Kid Rock, and from The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy donated $30,000.
“President Donald Trump has authorized this account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in today’s brutal and horrific assassination attempt. All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover. May God bless and unite our nation,” O’Rourke wrote in the fundraiser’s description.
Newsweek has reached out to O’Rourke via email on Sunday afternoon for comment.
On Sunday morning, a different GoFundMe campaign was launched by Jason Bubb, a gym owner in Buffalo Township, Pennsylvania, for Allyson Comperatore after her father was killed in the shooting.
The description reads, “Allyson has been an athlete with us since the beginning. She’s a huge part of our community.” The GoFundMe urged community members to “support her and her family during this time.”
As of Sunday afternoon, the GoFundMe, which set out to raise $7,000, surpassed half a million dollars, at $530,000, with over 9,900 donations, including the top donation of $25,000 from an anonymous user. Many users have posted heartfelt messages sharing condolences and honoring Comperatore’s life and legacy.
Newsweek has reached out to Bubb via email on Sunday afternoon for comment.
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