The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Saturday, July 13, thrust Butler into the public discourse, and along with that has come a tremendous amount of anonymous hate.

As we learned in the Wednesday edition of the Butler Eagle, government agencies throughout Butler County have seen an influx of calls and emails from people angry over the shooting at Trump’s campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds, which left one spectator dead three wounded, including Trump himself. According to Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy, staff have been dealing with phone calls and emails and the city’s website even crashed at one point.

“We've had numerous threats, threatening, nasty emails, angry emails to the city, and it's most unsettling and disturbing,” Dandoy said. “Phone calls also — they are threatening — I have had a couple on my voicemail coming from all different angles.”

Sheriff Mike Slupe and Lt. Matthew Pearson, of the Butler Township Police Department, both said their departments have also received a large number of calls and emails, ranging from name-calling to threats.

This is a very emotionally charged moment. The assassination attempt comes in the midst of one of the most rancorous elections of our lifetimes, and nearly everyone is looking for someone to blame.

And from the early reports about security failings, there is likely plenty of blame to go around. But that blame doesn’t belong to local officials — not to mention the fact the rally happened in Connoquenessing Township, not in Butler.

There are so many questions still to be answered, but those answers won’t come more quickly because of anonymous, hateful messages.

— JK