GLOVERSVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A 26-year-old Gloversville man was an eyewitness to history: the attempted assassination of an American President.
Aaron Gaza attended multiple Trump rallies before deciding to fly to the one in Butler, Pennsylvania with his girlfriend. At first, everything seemed secure.
“You could see secret service everywhere on the perimeter, at the gates, there was probably 50 secret service members with dogs" Gaza recalled.
Aaron and his girlfriend were seated on stage when a would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crook's bullet grazed Trump's ear.
“I was one of the first people in our section to the left behind Trump to go down. I knew exactly I covered my head I immediately fell on my girlfriend so that she was covered.”
Since the event, it's been questioned how spectators behind Trump had the sense to duck and not scatter.
“I have guns around here so I'm familiar with guns. As soon as I heard the shot I knew that was a gunshot. People around us were confused they thought it was fireworks" Gaza told NEWS10's Zion Decoteau. "They didn't realize that shots were ringing off until the sniper started shooting…” Gaza went on.
Gaza managed to stretch his hand to record video while the Secret Service secured the area. Moments later this iconic moment transpired — Trump raising his fist in the air.
“That was an inspiration to everyone that number one it's okay and two that he's going to get back up" Gaza expressed to NEWS10.
The former president survived but volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed at just 50 years old. Aaron saw the deceased's body and that of an injured woman.
“She was five people from our left and she got hit with bullets so everyone was screaming" Gaza remembered. “I popped my head up I actually saw the blood on her and that was horrible” Gaza continued. “Then unfortunately we did see the man that got taken away that got hit in the head. He got dragged behind the bleachers and we had our heads down underneath the bleachers let me saw his head" Gaza concluded.
The shooting video is constantly replayed in the media but also in Gaza’s mind. He says it will be a long time before he's able to attend mass gatherings
"The first thing I wanted to do after that rally was to get home and to be okay and to just be in my home, and know that I don't have to be with a large scale group, and anyone else. That’s one of the joys of living in the country."
Gaza said he did appreciate President Biden’s call to lower the national political temperature. He also says the 20-year-old shooter is a wake-up call for people suffering from mental health issues to seek help.
