'Quite a scene': Doctor recounts fatal shooting of Trump rallygoer
Dr. James Sweetland and wife Lois share what they saw at former President Trump's Pennsylvania rally.
A doctor and his wife appeared on Fox News Channel on Sunday afternoon to discuss their experience during the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Speaking to Martha MacCallum, Dr. James Sweetland recalled that he immediately went to assist Corey Comperatore, 50, who was shot at the rally and later pronounced dead.
"Being an emergency department physician, I just went into muscle memory," he explained. "I just went down there to help them. When I got to him, I said, what doctors usually say is, 'I'm a doctor. I'm here to help.'"
The medical professional added that he performed CPR on Comperatore before Pennsylvania State Troopers took the victim away.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
"He was jammed between two benches ... we got him up on the bench, and I performed CPR, gave him chest compressions as well as breath for him for about two minutes," Sweetland explained. "And at that point, I was tapped on the shoulder by one of the two largest Pennsylvania state troopers I've ever seen. And he said, 'We got it from here.'"
Sweetland's wife, Lois, spoke to MacCallum about how traumatized rally attendees were from the shooting.
"Everybody was so upset," she explained. "One girl in front of me was, she just lost control. She just sobbed as she was so traumatized. It was so – I felt so bad."
Dr. James Sweetland and wife Lois share what they saw after shots rang out at former President Trump's Pennsylvania rally on Saturday. (Fox News)
The Pennsylvania State Police released the names of the three attendees shot during the attempted assassination.
As mentioned above, Comperatore was killed. The second victim was identified as 57-year-old David Dutch of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, who is listed in stable condition. The third victim was identified as 74-year-old James Copenhaver of Moon Township, Pennsylvania; he is also listed in stable condition.
Trump supporters are seen covered with blood in the stands after shots were fired at Republican candidate Donald Trump at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
Comperatore was a former fire chief for Buffalo Township, a volunteer fire service, local news station WPXI reported.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered U.S. and state flags on all state facilities, public buildings and grounds to fly at half-staff in Comperatore's honor.
During Sunday's press conference, Shapiro called on Americans to come together in prayer and to retreat from hate and malice.
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"This is a moment where all of us have a responsibility to take down the temperature, rise above the hateful rhetoric that exists, and search for a better, brighter future for this nation. I ask that you join Lori and me in prayer for the two Pennsylvanians still in critical condition, for the family of Corey Comperatore and for former President Donald Trump," Shapiro said.
The FBI is investigating the assassination attempt as a possible act of domestic terrorism.
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
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