In a riveting interview with the South Shore Press, Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe recounted the tragic day President Trump was almost killed. Slupe was positioned near the stage, about 60 feet from the podium, when gunfire erupted.
“Because of an earlier fireworks complaint, that’s what went through my brain,” Slupe said. “When it went pop, pop, pop, I initially thought it was just fireworks. The stage speakers were hit, sending equipment crashing down. More shots were fired, the President goes down. Everybody was on the ground, chairs everywhere,” he recounted.
Slupe navigated through panicked attendees to the bleacher area, where someone shouted that a man had been shot in the head. He radioed for paramedics, who were stationed nearby and responded immediately to assist fire chief Corey Comperatore, one of the victims.
The gunman had climbed onto buildings outside the fairgrounds’ perimeter. “He went through a catacomb of buildings, got on top of an air conditioner, climbed a pole, and jumped across roofs,” Slupe said. “There was no security there—it was outside the farm show property.”
Law enforcement, including the Secret Service, state police, and Butler County deputies, quickly responded. Slupe praised their efforts, saying officers engaging the shooter likely prevented further tragedy. It was a Butler Emergency Services Unit officer’s shot that disabled the assailant’s gun seconds before a Secret Service sniper killed him.
Reflecting on the attack, Slupe said, “There were tens of thousands of people there. Everybody dealt with it in their own way. Butler is a great community, and it’s just a shame that all the hours people stood in the heat were ruined by this kid.”
For Slupe, the day remains unforgettable. “It’s a miracle the President turned his head from the shooter. That, and the quick action of law enforcement, saved many lives.”