by Steve Bittenbender
A Louisville college has placed a lecturer on unpaid leave after he posted on social media expressing his hope that an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump would be successful.
“If you’re gonna shoot, man, don’t miss,” John James wrote in all caps in a post discovered Sunday by Libsoftiktok. The statement was posted above a screenshot of news about Saturday’s shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, in which the former president and current Republican candidate was injured when a bullet grazed his ear.
James (pictured above), who graduated from Bellarmine in 2009, previously posted that he had accepted a full-time teaching position at his alma mater. On Monday, the private Catholic institution posted a statement on its social media platforms saying it had placed the employee on “immediate unpaid leave” after learning of the “offensive and unacceptable” comments.
“Words and actions that condone violence are unacceptable and contrary to our values, which call for respect for the intrinsic worth and dignity of every individual,” the statement reads. “We strive to create an inclusive community that welcomes all and models a spirit of goodwill.”
Although James is still listed in the university’s online directory, Bellarmine has removed a website where he was listed as a featured alumnus and an article about him posted on the university’s Facebook page.
Later Monday evening, the university evacuated its library and cafeteria after receiving a bomb threat. It ended the order an hour later when school officials said the threat was “not credible.”
A school spokesman told WDRB-TV in Louisville that authorities believe the threat was related to the offensive pole.
Trump officially became the Republican Party’s nominee Monday as the party opened its convention in Milwaukee. He appeared briefly alongside Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, whom he had named his vice presidential running mate. His right ear, the tip of which had been grazed by a bullet, remained bandaged.
The attack killed one person at the rally. Corey Comperatore, 50, died after being struck by a bullet. The former fire chief and Army Reserve veteran was shielding his family at the time.
Secret Service agents returned fire and killed Thomas Matthew Crooks, the alleged attacker. The incident is under investigation.
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Steve Bittenbender is a contributor Central Square.
