Drew Dixon
A GoFundMe charitable account started to help victims who were shot in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump has now raised more than $4 million in barely two days.
The charitable account was started by Floridian Meredith O’Rourke within hours after a would-be assassin opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump had his right ear grazed. But one spectator was killed by gunfire and two others were severely injured.
O’Rourke’s effort originally had hoped to raise $1 million on the GoFundMe account. But within 24 hours of establishing the account, that figure had exceeded $2 million. As of Monday, that number more than doubled, with the total donations topping $4.2 million.
Some notable names have donated to the effort to help shooting victims. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott contributed $50,000. The Republican lawmaker joined other public figures such as pop music artist Kid Rock, who also kicked in $50,000. Both those contributions were the largest amounts donated so far.
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also donated $30,000 to the GoFundMe account. As of Monday, there were more than 55,000 total contributions, most in modest amounts of less than $100 each.
“President Donald Trump has authorized this account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in (Saturday’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 officeholders, including Scott.
The gunman 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.
Associates of the shooter note he was a loner when he attended a high school that was not far from the shooting scene, according to multiple media accounts. Some believe he may have been bullied when he attended school before he graduated a few years ago.
The shooter 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. It is not yet known what his motivation was for the shooting.
