It was only a matter of time. This dreadful event had been predicted and prophesied. Prayer alerts went out to pray for supernatural protection. Then, on Saturday night, July 13th 2024, at an outdoor campaign rally for Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, several shots rang out. Pandemonium briefly ensued, and three men in the audience were hit. One of the men, Corey Camperatori, 50, an ex-fire chief, an enthusUS Election,iastic churchgoer and a family man, was fatally wounded while using his body to shield his wife and daughter. The other two were seriously injured but expected to recover. A bullet hit Trump but grazed his right ear; he missed death by millimetres. 

What was at stake was more than the life of a prominent politician. America’s future hung in the balance with the prospect of civil war not far away.

Unfortunately, assassinations and attempted assassinations are not a new phenomena. Four US Presidents were assassinated: Abraham Lincoln (1865); James Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1901), and John F. Kennedy (1963). During the 1980s, three leaders were credited for the peaceful conclusion of the Cold War: US President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II. Yet all three faced assassination attempts that almost succeeded; in 1981 both Reagan and the Pope were shot and wounded – though not fatally. Margaret Thatcher was almost blown up by an IRA bomb at a hotel in Brighton, England in 1984. 

The shooting of Trump raised a lot of questions, including why did the Secret Service not take action sooner against the gunman, whom they observed for up to thirty minutes before the shots rang out. It is as if they waited for him to shoot before they shot in return. In order to solve a problem, you need to understand the cause. However, in this article, we will address the question: Who is to blame for the shooting at the Trump rally? The answer will not be as simple as it sounds. It seems that there are four sources of culpability.

Killer One – The Shooter: As of this writing, there’s limited information about the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, age 20. He was a loner and frequently bullied at school. Crooks was a registered Republican but gave a one-time donation to a left-wing cause. He did not appear to be active on social media (this is highly unusual for a Gen Z person). His motive for shooting Trump is not yet known. Crooks, who was positioned on a rooftop 150 metres from Trump, was killed on the spot by the authorities. 

In one sense, it is an open and shut case: Crooks is to blame. But did Crooks act alone? Or was he part of a bigger plan?

Killer Two – Hateful Rhetoric: Ever since Trump launched his political career in 2015, he has been the subject of abusive, hysterical, and violent rhetoric (Mr. Trump is no shrinking violet and could return the insults to the sender – but never has he suggested censorship, violence, or personal destruction. In recent times, his temperament has been calm, peaceful, and conciliatory) Whether his critics or opponents have been politicians, media personalities, or high-profile entertainers, there have been numerous comments about violence and even the murder of Trump. Defamation leads to demonisation, which leads to thoughts and actions of violence and elimination. This kind of talk is dangerous for the subject of verbal abuse as well as the person giving it, as we are about to learn. 

Ms. Comperatore Meeder, sister of Corey Comparator,  said she held media outlets “very much responsible” for her brother’s death because of the way she believes they have depicted Mr. Trump and his supporters.

‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue’ — Proverbs 18:21. Words can kill and words can heal.

Killer Three – Fallen Human Nature: The universal cause of deadly violence is relatively simple. It comes from our fallen human nature, also known as our ‘carnal self-life’ and ‘old man sin nature.’ This is succinctly described in James 4:1-2: From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2. Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 

Do you hear what James is saying? The cause of fighting, war, and killing is simple – it comes from lust in the human heart. Greed, avarice, and covetousness are lethal, major sins. The Bible is replete with examples of this kind of deadly attitude that leads to deadly action. What’s even more tragic is that people who would normally be friends and allies end up destroying each other because of lust and greed.

1. Cain and Abel: They were brothers and did a lot of fun and positive things together. Yet Cain murdered his brother because God accepted Abel’s sacrifice but not his. It was the first of millions of murders to come.

1. David and Uriah the Hittite: Uriah was an honourable individual and one of David’s mighty men. He had a great relationship with his king. David normally was honourable, too, but covetousness led to him committing adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, while her husband was out of town fighting the king’s battle. Then he had him murdered to cover his tracks because he impregnated Bathsheba. Up to five of the ten commandments were violated by David by his sin.

1. Ahab and Naboth: Ahab, king of Israel, had lands and palaces but they were not enough. He wanted more; covetousness is never ever satisfied. Naboth’s was Ahab’s neighbour and his vineyard was right next to the royal palace at Jezreel. Ahab offered to buy the vineyard but Naboth refused to sell it. So what did Ahab do? Thanks to Jezebel’s intervention, Naboth was murdered, his children may have been too, and he seized the vineyard. This heinous action earned the stinging rebuke of the prophet Elijah and a declaration of severe judgment was made against both Ahab and Jezebel.

1. Jesus and Judas: Judas Iscariot knew Jesus well; he was one of the Twelve Disciples. He heard every discourse, witnessed every miracle, and saw the love and power of God in action. Yet because he loved money so much he betrayed the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. His betrayal kick-started the Passion of Christ, starting with Christ’s arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

In Part Two, we will learn the identity of the fourth killer – the worst of them all. Plus we will look at the New Testament for some needful perspective.

TO BE CONTINUED