Floridian’s fundraising effort for victims shot at Donald Trump rally doubles $1M goal

Donald Trump had an ear grazed after an assassination attempt Saturday. Image via Associated Press.

A key financial operative for Donald Trump’s campaign in Florida has started a GoFundMe page to help assist the spectators who were injured in Saturday’s attempted assassination of the former President. She sought to raise $1 million and that figure has already been broken.

Meredith O’Rourke launched the fundraising online effort shortly after Trump had his ear grazed in an assassination attempt Saturday about 6:15 p.m. as he started his open-air campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvanian. While the former President was whisked away with blood on his face by U.S. Secret Service agents and was treated and released at a Butler hospital, one rally attendee was shot to death by the gunman and at least two spectators were severely injured by bullets fired by the would-be assassin.

Secret Service personnel shot and killed the gunman who was perched atop a building about 150 yards from the podium where Trump was speaking.

the GoFundMe page for the victims of the shooting stated the goal was to raise $1 million. That figure was quickly surpassed and as of 4 p.m. Sunday, the amount of donations reached about $2.45 million and more funds appeared to be adding to that amount..

“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,” O’Rourke wrote on the GoFundMe account and page to help the victims. “All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover. May God bless and unite our nation.”

O’Rourke lives in Tallahassee and is the National Finance Director and Senior Adviser for the Donald J. Trump For President 2024 organization, according to her Linkedin page. She’s been an active fundraiser for many high-profile Republican office holders including U.S. Senator Rick Scott.

The top donor to the GoFundMe page for rally victims thus far is pop music star Kid Rock, who kicked in $50,000. former Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, contributed $30,000 to the charitable account.

Scott himself has also contributed to the fund. He matched Kid Rock’s contribution of $50,000.

Scott said on his X (formerly twitter) social media account, “I donate my Senate salary every quarter and am honored to join @KidRock, @danawhite, @ufc and others in supporting the victims of the Butler shooting. I am sending $50K to this great cause.”

The gunman has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks and was killed by Secret Service personnel shortly after he fired bullets from an “AR-type rifle,” according to the Associated Press. Crooks was able to fire multiple shots at the stage from an “elevated position outside of the rally venue,” Secret Service officials said.

Little is known about the shooter, though he was a registered Republican who lived in a nearby Pennsylvania town not far from Butler. Officials also note he contributed $15 to a Democratic Party cause.