UPDATE: Bellarmine instructor on leave after attempted Trump assassination comments: 'If you're gonna shoot, man, don't miss'
A Catholic university instructor in Kentucky was suspended after posting to Instagram, “If you’re gonna shoot, man, don’t miss” after former President Trump was shot on Saturday.
A Catholic university instructor in Kentucky was suspended after posting to Instagram, “If you’re gonna shoot, man, don’t miss” after former President Trump was shot on Saturday.
Bellarmine University English Instructor John James made the comment on an Instagram story Saturday evening after a Pennsylvania man attempted to kill Trump during a rally on Saturday.
”If you’re gonna shoot, man, don’t miss,” James wrote above a screenshot of a New York Times article covering the shooting.
A search of Bellarmine University’s class schedule for Fall 2024 shows James will teach four English classes.
Meet John James. A professor at @bellarmineU. He’s very sad that the sh**ter missed.
.@bellarmineU any comment? pic.twitter.com/KOvMZsauwx— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 14, 2024
A spokesperson for the university told WAVE that James has been placed on unpaid leave.
“Words and actions that condone violence are unacceptable and contrary to our values, which call for respecting the intrinsic value and dignity of every individual. We strive to create an inclusive community that welcomes all and models a spirit of goodwill. We are aware of an offensive and unacceptable social media post made by an employee over the weekend. That individual has been placed on immediate unpaid leave,” the spokesperson wrote.
After posting the remark to Instagram, James made his account private.
[RELATED: UVA professor claims Trump shooting was ‘staged’ and a tactic to win votes from ‘idiots’]
Law enforcement officials said Thomas Matthew Crooks carried out the assassination attempt on Saturday during a rally hosted by the former President, according to the Associated Press.
One attendee at the rally was killed and two others were injured. Crooks was killed by law enforcement officials.
Corey Comperatore was later named as the man who was killed during the shooting. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said during a press conference that Comperatore was shielding his family from gunfire.
The FBI said it’s investigating the shooting as a possible act of domestic terrorism.
