A Pennsylvania mayor said he was sitting in the front row, just feet from former President Donald Trump, at the moment a gunman opened fire during a rally on Saturday, and recounted his experience being so close to the scene of the assassination attempt.
Slippery Rock Mayor John-David Longo told Fox News Digital that he and his family were looking forward to the rally and had traveled to Butler in the morning.
He said Slippery Rock is about 30 miles from Butler.
Longo said he was fortunate to hear Trump speak on Halloween night in 2020, and was even more excited for Saturday’s rally because he was invited to hear Trump give several speeches and lead the Pledge of Allegiance before Trump took the stage.
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Slippery Rock Mayor John David Longo spoke to Fox News Digital about being just feet away from the scene of the shooting at the Trump rally on Saturday. (Fox News/Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
“We thought this was going to be a special day, and then 15 minutes later a madman opened fire on President Trump and those attending the rally and that day changed 180 degrees,” Longo said.
Longo said he was sitting in the front row, less than 15 feet to the right of Trump and next to several other politicians, when the shooting began.
“I heard the first gunshot, a pop and then a bang. I was in the Marines and was in Afghanistan as an infantry rifleman so I know what a gunshot sounds like, but I don’t think anyone in the crowd thought it could be a gunshot,” Longo explained.
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An undated photo of Corey Comperatore. Comperatore was a former fire chief who was shot and killed at a rally for former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (Facebook)
“My first thought was, ‘Oh my gosh, are those firecrackers? I hope so,’ and then unfortunately, we started hearing a second, third, fourth shot and it became very clear that they were gunfire, and I especially saw that when I saw President Trump grabbing his ear, his right ear, and I was looking to his right,” Longo continued.
Longo confirmed that other politicians he was sitting with also heard the gunfire and saw what was happening right in front of them. He said they then warned the surrounding crowd to stay low, stay calm and get out of the way so that law enforcement professionals, especially the Secret Service, could deal with the threat.
Longo added that it wasn’t immediately clear where the gunfire came from, but it was relatively quick to determine that it was coming from the outdoor venue directly behind them.
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A memorial to volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore, a participant who was killed in a shooting at a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump, is displayed at Buffalo Township Fire Company 27 in Buffalo Township, Pennsylvania, on July 14, 2024. (Reuters/Brendan McDiarmid)
“We were living in the moment and my heart was wanting to protect my wife, especially who is pregnant, my girlfriend, my family, my friends and those who are in my immediate vicinity, but then our attention turned to individuals who needed help,” Longo said.
Longo said he witnessed so many people stepping up to help and do good, and how Trump’s response to the scene made him feel in that moment.
“I’m telling you, it’s still sticking out. [in] “I too recall the moment when President Trump stood up, shook off the hands of the Secret Service agents who had rushed to protect him, and raised his fist in triumphant defiance. It was a moment of determined leadership and I think it gave everyone there a moment of respite from the horror we all faced together in that moment,” Longo said.
“That was a message to us: We are safe. Hopefully, there is hope in the near future. That was a message that we will continue this mission and see it through to the end,” Longo continued.
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Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump is hurriedly escorted off the stage during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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Longo said he is grateful that he and others were able to help those in the crowd, but that doesn’t erase the tremendous loss of volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore, who lost his life trying to protect his wife and daughters from the gunfire.
“I want to turn that back to Fire Chief Corey Comperatore. The fact is, he didn’t get to go home that night because he came to hear President Trump’s message of hope and encouragement. That message was taken from him, he was taken from his family. So, again, I want to offer my condolences to their family and I hope they understand that the world is with them right now,” Longo said.
