Apparently, violence knows no bounds — particularly when it comes to Donald Trump.
In the aftermath of the attempted assassination of the former president, many people took to social media to make jokes and comments about the shooter not accomplishing his mission.
But now they’re facing the consequences, either getting canned by their employers or resigning after outrage erupted over their posts.
KAREN PINDER
411: The UBC professor wrote, then deleted, what appeared to be a celebration post on X lamenting the failure of Trump’s shooter.
“Damn, so close. Too bad,” the medical school’s Karen Pinder shared on X.
“What a glorious day this could have been!” she wrote in a follow-up post.
While Pinder deleted her account, it was up long enough for many to call for her firing, including the province’s Conservative Leader John Rustad who said “this kind of radicalism” doesn’t belong in in classrooms.
STATUS: Unclear
DARCY WALDRON PINCKNEY
411: Home Depot fired cashier Pinckney from an upstate New York location over a Facebook comment she made after Trump’s shooting.
“To [sic] bad they weren’t a better shooter!!!!!” Pinckney posted in apparent reference to Trump’s wannabe killer, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Pinckney later called the former president “the definition of corrupt and evil.”
A customer who saw the comment approached Pinckney and filmed their confrontation, which was widely shared on the LibsofTikTok X account.
STATUS: Fired
JACQUELINE MARSAW
411: Jacqueline Marsaw worked as a field reporter for Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson (Miss.) when she shared on Facebook that she hoped the shooter who targeted Trump “wouldn’t miss next time.”
“I don’t condone violence, but please get you some shooting lessons so you don’t miss next time ooops that wasn’t me talking,” she wrote on Facebook, adding “couldn’t [have] happened to a nicer fellow” and the incident appeared “staged.”
STATUS: Fired
TONY BENDELE
411: The gunfire killed a former volunteer firefighter as he protected his family but that didn’t stop fellow Pennsylvania Fire Chief Tony Bendele from posting on X: “Too bad it didn’t hit him square.”
Bendele’s post was removed for “bullying and harassment,” but the damage was done — in screenshot form — and went viral. He later took to X to share his resignation letter after he, his family and friends were “threatened.”
“I’m ashamed that I’ve brought this to you,” he wrote to his loved ones in a post. “I’ve already lost several people extremely close to me. I expect to lose more.”
STATUS: Resigned
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
JOHN JAMES
411: Bellarmine University instructor John James took to social media to write, “If you’re gonna shoot, man, don’t miss, alongside a screenshot of an article about Trump’s attempted assassination.
He was initially suspended for the “offensive and unacceptable” post but is no longer with the university and has since been put on unpaid administrative leave.
STATUS: Limbo
CASSANDRA OLESON
411: Cassandra Oleson, a South Dakota school employee, found out the hard way you don’t joke about someone’s attempted murder.
The middle school behaviour facilitator commented on her personal Facebook page under the name Cassie Martin, which has since been deactivated, “Shoot – if only he would’ve had his scope sighted in correctly,” shortly after the FBI identified Crooks as the shooter.
The Sioux Falls School District said in a statement that Oleson’s “statement does not align with the school district’s values and was not condoned in any way.”
STATUS: Limbo
CHRISTINE DESHAZO
411: A Texas pharmacy worker faced backlash after she shared on Facebook that she was disappointed Trump’s shooter didn’t hit his target.
“Damn, they missed,” Christine DeShazo wrote in her post, which was first outed by Libs of TikTok.
Guardian Pharmacy of Texas told the Daily Mail that DeShazo has been terminated as “her personal views are not reflective of our company’s beliefs.”
STATUS: Fired
JESS BRANAS
411: A city councilperson in Philadelphia posted on Facebook, “A for Effort,” and later shared a photo of her beefy dinner.
But the timing of her social media remark about a pair of strip steaks was understood by many as a comment about Trump’s shooter.
After receiving threats and negative comments, Branas lost her job as district director for Heather Boyd, the state representative for Pennsylvania’s 163rd district.
“Violence has no place in politics,” Boyd wrote on X. “Earlier today, a social media post made by a former member of my staff was brought to my attention. This matter has been dealt with swiftly.”
Branas denied her post was related to Trump and called her firing “unfair.”
STATUS: Fired
AMANDA BREWER
411: A guidance counsellor at a North Carolina elementary school announced her resignation after making comments about Trump on social media.
Amanda Brewer, who goes by Love Brew on her socials, wrote: “I’m currently sitting on the beach this afternoon, disturbed by the fact, sickened with myself, that I was disappointed the shooter missed when I saw the news.”
She continued: “I have allowed that horrible, horrible man to make me bitter enough to have such an experience. I was horrified when folks on social media posted they hoped he would die when he had COVID-19 in 2020. Have I become that cynical?”
She concluded: “I clearly need to do some reflecting and some work.”
Brewer told local outlet WXII that her comments were taken out of context: “It’s not the type of person I am. I don’t condone violence, ever.”
STATUS: Resigned