Jason Vecchio, who attended Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, told NDTV that the atmosphere was cheerful and “nothing seemed wrong.” Mr Vecchio, who was 150 feet from the stage, said it was a very positive experience, until the former president was shot and then there was a kind of “confusion and fear.”
“It seemed like nothing was wrong. We saw the Secret Service snipers on top of the building … everybody was laughing, we were dancing before. It was a very good atmosphere. Everybody was talking, having good conversations. There were families, kids. There were older people. Up until then it was a very positive experience. We didn’t feel like there was going to be an attack,” Mr. Vecchio said.
The 78-year-old former president was wounded but the assassination attempt was averted, a brazen attack that shocked a deeply polarized nation ahead of November’s election.
“The bullets went through him, hit the machine and the boom came down because it hit the hydraulic line. We saw the Secret Service jump on top of him, protect him. It wasn’t like we knew right away what was going on. There was definitely gunfire because I’ve been around firearms. We got down, heard the gunfire stop. At that point I ran to the fence, I jumped over the fence and hid under a police car because I wasn’t sure if there was a second shooter or a shooter in the crowd. Nobody knew where the shooter was. So I just wanted to be in the safest place possible.”
“And then we all saw Trump stand up and raise his fist in the air and we all stood up and started chanting. It was a very emotional moment. It was a very emotional moment to see him stand up when we all thought he was dead. And then I went to the fence and went to my friends and we together opened the fence and started to give everybody a way to get out,” Mr Vecchio said, recalling what he saw at the incident.
While Trump was speaking, there were several explosions. He grabbed his ear, blood was clearly visible on his ear and cheek, then he fell to the floor, at which point Secret Service agents came to the podium, surrounded him and took him to a nearby vehicle.
“We were definitely confused at first. I think a little bit scared set in after that. I tried to make sure my friends were safe. Today, after a few hours had passed, I realized the true severity of the whole incident. This will go down in history and be taught in schools,” Mr. Vecchio said.
Iconic images of a bloodied Trump waving his fist after the shooting are already bolstering Republicans’ hopes that voters will unite behind him for a landslide victory in November.
“Immediately I saw him stand up. I was already standing in that spot trying to find my friends. The crowd was looking at him. I looked up. I saw him clench his fist, it was a memorable scene. The guy had just been shot. We all thought he was dead. And he stood up and when he said fight and put his hand up in the air he looked like a patriot. It was unreal. He wasn’t scared. He was like this is my fight, we’re going to win. We’re here, I’m alive. He was as proud an American as I’ve ever seen,” Mr. Vecchio said.
The Secret Service is facing heavy scrutiny over how a gunman was allowed to take aim with an assault rifle on a rooftop nearly 500 feet (150 meters) from one of the world’s most protected political figures.
“There’s always something new to this. There’s always something new. We’ll find out something new in the next couple of weeks. We’ve learned a lot in the last 24 hours. But there’s always more to the story that’s not very clear. The whole situation was strange that a single person was able to get a ladder up to such a close building. That building had a great view of the whole thing. So why didn’t the Secret Service secure the building or put a member of security on the building to make sure something like this didn’t happen.”
“It’s very strange to me that security measures were not taken. It’s negligence on the part of whoever was making the decisions. And since then we’ve also heard, I can’t say if it’s true or not, we’ve heard that the gentleman who got the vaccine was targeted for about three minutes and he was being told not to get the vaccine… I’m looking forward to knowing the truth in the coming days and weeks,” Mr Vecchio said, casting doubt on the former president’s security team.
Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who shot Trump, was killed on the spot by Secret Service snipers. He appears to have acted alone, but the FBI said there is more to the investigation.
The bystander killed in the shooting targeting Trump has been identified as Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter and father of two.
“It definitely makes me angry. That gentleman was there with his daughter and wife, whereas I was there with my friends supporting a politician that we support and we were having fun. He was there with his loved one and supporting his politician and he lost his life that day, I want to send my heartfelt condolences to his family. It’s sad. It’s very sad. I wish he was still alive,” Mr Vecchio said.
Biden has sought to strike a presidential tone on the shooting incident and has been quick to offer a message of unity.
“We’ve been very divided over the last few years. I think this current event has a great potential to bring Americans together and make America stronger as a country. And make us successful and make us great again,” Me Vecchio said.
When asked what he likes about Trump, Mr. Vecchio said, “He always has been and always will be a person with a personality. He’s fun to watch. I’m definitely looking forward to hearing what he has to say.”
