Why we remember the July 13, 2024, Trump assassination attempt
Readers might have noticed the front page of the Butler Eagle was filled this week with stories about the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in July 2024.
Sunday, July 13, is one year since that day, and to mark that anniversary, today’s edition of the Eagle has even more stories looking back at what happened and at how it affected Butler County and the nation.
July 13, 2024, was a dark day in Butler County, one filled with fear, uncertainty and grief. For one family, the Comperatores, the subsequent year has meant learning to live without their husband and father, Corey Comperatore, who was killed while protecting his family when shots were fired.
For others, their sense of security was deeply shaken by the day’s events, from the two men seriously injured to those still dealing with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
There are questions that may never be answered, such as why Thomas Matthew Crooks decided to try and assassinate Trump. But in the last year we have learned the answers to many of the other questions about that day, especially about how the U.S. Secret Service failed to stop Crooks, despite his being spotted well before he climbed onto a roof near the Butler Farm Show grounds and opened fire.
All eyes would have been on Butler County that day no matter what, but the events that unfolded pushed it into the national spotlight in a way no one could have ever expected.
Now, a year later, the attention has largely died down, but the effects remain. The stories the Eagle staff have produced document what our county went through and how it’s left its mark on our lives.
We hope they offer insight into what we’ve learned about that dark day over the last year, as well as show the healing process that’s still ongoing.
— JK
