A Canadian biology professor has shocked social media with his comments on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old assassin who shot Donald Trump, opened fire on the former president with an AR-style rifle from a rooftop 130 yards from the rally stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday at 6:15 p.m.
Many have used the attempted assassination of the former president to call for more moderate rhetoric from both sides of the political spectrum.
Shoshanna Jacobs, a biology professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, drew condemnation from all sides after citing a video of the shooting on Twitter, saying Trump came close to being directly hit.
Jacobs, a professor of integrative biology, wrote on the social media platform X: “When 4 inches really matters.”
Shoshanna Jacobs, a biology professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario, drew condemnation from all sides after citing a video of the shooting on Twitter, saying Trump came close to being directly hit.
The teacher, who has taught at the school since 2012 and uses “they” pronouns, was quickly vilified for her joke.
“Wow, you’re a horrible person,” wrote one X user. “People died today. But hey, you have jokes.”
Another added succinctly: “This just makes you look evil.”
More social media users tagged Jacobs’ employers and called for them to be fired.
“Do you support murder and manslaughter @uofg? Why do you have a professor who supports crime teaching at the University of Guelph?”
Another wrote: “Educator? I sincerely hope your disgusting and vile opinion gets you fired.”
Donald Trump’s family and supporters have criticised the liberal media for downplaying Saturday night’s assassination attempt and publishing insensitive op-eds in the wake of the atrocity.
The editors were criticized for describing the shots as “loud popping noises” and for describing Trump “falling” off the stage without reference to the assassination attempt.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old suspected assassin who shot Donald Trump, opened fire on the former president with an AR-style rifle from a rooftop 130 yards from the rally stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday at 6:15 p.m.
The New York Times also came under fire for publishing an op-ed titled “Donald Trump Is Unfit to Lead” that encouraged voters to “reject him in November” the morning after the shooting.
Printed over a sinister backlit silhouette of Trump’s profile, the title page also reads: “He failed the tests of leadership and betrayed America.”
The president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., led the criticism on X, calling CNN “vile” and “a disgrace” for its coverage of the incident at the Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign event.
Many noted the callousness given that Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed in the shooting while trying to save his family.
Comperatore died a hero protecting his young daughter and wife from gunfire when he was killed by Crooks, a 20-year-old gunman.
Other Trump supporters rushed to his aid in the stands moments after Crooks opened fire from a rooftop 130 yards away.
Grieving family members announced Comperatore’s untimely death on Sunday, as they paid tribute to the former volunteer firefighter.
His sister wrote on Facebook: ‘The Trump rally in Pennsylvania took the life of my brother, Corey Comperatore. Hatred towards one man took the life of the man we loved most. He was a hero who protected his daughters.
“His wife and daughters experienced the unthinkable and unimaginable. My younger brother just turned 50 and he still has a lot of life left to live,” he continued.
“Hate has no limits and love has no borders. Please pray for my sister-in-law, my nieces, my mother, my sister, for me and for her nephews and nieces, because this seems like a terrible nightmare, but we know that it is our painful reality.”
Comperatore’s daughter Allyson also wrote: “He died like a real-life superhero.”
Following the attack, Trump posted a statement on Truth Social confirming that he had been hit by a bullet, while thanking the Secret Service and law enforcement for their “quick response to the shooting that just occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania.”
The former president also confirmed that one protester died and another was “seriously injured.”
‘Most importantly, I want to express my condolences to the family of the person who died in the demonstration, and also to the family of another person who was seriously injured.’
“It is unbelievable that such an act could happen in our country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that went through the top of my right ear,” the former president said.
‘I knew immediately something was wrong because I heard a whistling sound, gunshots, and immediately felt the bullet go through my skin. There was a lot of bleeding so I realized what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!’