A Pennsylvania woman attended the rally held by former President Trump on Saturday with her husband and, initially, was uncertain if the pops she heard were directly related to a gun, as she assumed, because of the fun-loving atmosphere, that someone set off fireworks.
“It was truly a lovely day and as we were sitting there, it really sounded like firecrackers,” Chris Konopka, 56, of McMurray, Pennsylvania, told Fox News Digital over the phone. “There was no panic on my part because I immediately thought, ‘OK, who’s the idiot that did this because he’s ruining it for everybody?’”
Konopka described the day as an incredibly hot one, but lively and full of “happy, pleasant and helpful” rally goers.
“Nobody was drinking, chanting, screaming; none of it,” she said.
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Former President Trump greets the crowd at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. Moments later, shots rang out, killing one man and injuring Trump and two others. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
Konopka, a first-time rally attendee, and her husband, small business owners near Bethel Park where the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was from, were seated about 20 feet behind Trump and the stage.
She said it wasn’t until the couple got home that they understood the gravity of the situation as iPhone service at Butler Farm Show Grounds was limited and only text messages from her mom were coming through.
Trump was struck by a bullet on his ear.
“I did not see the blood on his face,” Konopka said. “The bleachers to the right of us where the gentleman actually did get killed, I assumed, ‘Oh, that’s where the noise came from, they got the guy that was doing the fireworks,’ not knowing that guy had gotten shot.”
She added that there was no stampede of attendees and bystanders remained calm as they filed out to their cars in an orderly fashion.
“We were all just walking and being ushered out, everybody waited their turn to be ushered out,” she said. “That atmosphere, too, made me think ‘OK, I’m gonna sit back and not react right away.’ It all happened so quickly.”
Among those in the crowd nearby was a young girl, who Konopka believed to be 10 years old, crying.
“It was so said,” she said.
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Konopka said that, though she’d never been to a rally before, she was particularly alert as to the lack of protection as she walked into the outdoor venue. She described the security scene, including one metal detector, as “lax.”
“I remember my husband saying, ‘You know, I don’t know about this,’” she said. “In my humble opinion, they made that very, very easy for that 20-year-old.”
Though she said she’s unsure if some security personnel were undercover, she believes Trump is at too high of a risk to have such little protection.
“It was kind of surreal but then again, I’m going to be honest, I was not surprised and I kind of thought it was coming,” Konopka said of an assassination attempt on Trump. “I just didn’t know I was going to have a front seat. We shouldn’t be surprised.”
Konopka is most curious as to where the bullet that struck Trump is presently located.
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“It probably should have hit somebody two rows above me because a bullet doesn’t stop and there was nothing behind that podium to stop it besides more people,” she said. “Where is it?”
She doesn’t believe that Crooks had enough access to weaponry and intelligence to act alone and Konopka says Americans aren’t asking enough questions.
Konopka said she extends her condolences to the family of the man who lost his life, and though disheartened by the loss, she said she was especially taken aback by the heroism of one WWII veteran in attendance.
“Everyone was ducking,” she said. “He stood straight up and went straight to that podium without even thinking about it.”
She added that it was a “pretty incredible” sight and gave her new hope for the future.
