What the hell is wrong with people?

I’ll say that again.

What the hell is wrong with people?

That’s the first thing that came to my mind Saturday evening when I heard of the tragic, unfortunate and disgusting turn of events at a rally in western Pennsylvania for former President Donald Trump.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock since then, you probably know that the former leader of the free world was wounded along with two supporters in the crowd at the hand of a 20-year-old, gun-toting individual who managed to find his way to a rooftop outside the perimeter of the event at a fairground in Butler, a suburb north of Pittsburgh.

Thomas Matthew Crooks changed the course of history when he pulled the trigger of his AR-style weapon.

And in that same split second he changed the lives of a family who lived in the Butler area forever.

Corey Comperatore’s daughters didn’t have their father at Sunday dinner. He died at the rally as he covered family members, using his body to shield them from the gunfire.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said Comperatore, 50, died a hero. He expressed his concern for the well-being of the two injured attendees, David Dutch of New Kensington and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township.

And Shapiro called for lowering the temperature of the heated debate and vitriol linked to Trump since he came down the escalator to announce his candidacy in 2016.

Shapiro joined national and world leaders calling for politicians to take their foot off the gas in their campaigning as the Nov. 5 General Election approaches.

But it seems the national media wasn’t listening.

Sunday morning news coverage was mired in minutia, focusing on the whodunit and the mechanics of how something so heinous could happen. There wasn’t much talk about why.

The reporting included finger pointing with some Trump backers blaming supporters of President Joe Biden. There was little reference to Biden’s comments about putting Trump in a bullseye as the aging president attempted to recover from the political debacle that was his debate with Trump just weeks earlier.

Readers may recall how one-time supporters were jumping ship after questioning Biden’s performance during his 90-minute tangle with Trump.

All that changed Saturday. Biden’s campaign hit the brakes on a bevy of planned attack advertising.

As of Sunday night in three separate sessions, he preached about the effects of political violence and the need to unify the nation.

Biden sought election to the presidency stressing that he would unify the nation. Apparently, he’s still trying as his bid for reelection continues. Anyone who watched the video of the rally would agree that hasn’t happened.

In his last appearance, from the Oval Office, he called for unity and tolerance.

To be sure, Trump and his organizers were no angels when it came to using social media, posting questionable and derogatory information to ridicule his opponent. A photograph of a bloodied Trump holding his fist high as he was removed from the rally stage will almost certainly be a centerpiece in his rallying cry for election.

Trump, on social media, called for unity as did the former First Lady, Melania Trump.

On Saturday, social media exploded where, it seemed, everyone who owned a cellphone with a social media account joined the fray.

Talking heads on both sides called for swift investigations into how the U.S. Secret Service could allow the attempt to happen.

Fewer than 24 hours after the incident, lawmakers demanded answers. Some ridiculed authority figures for not knowing what happened.

Hearings are already scheduled. Legislators are calling for investigations

There are questions aplenty, but few answers.

Unfortunately, the answers — if they come — won’t be swift and solutions, if any, won’t be easy.

The only thing that’s known for sure is that somebody’s father is dead, two other spectators injured and the potential next leader of the free world was inches away from being assassinated.

As we wait for answers, the Republican National Convention enters its second day and its Democratic counterpart gears up for next month, we can only hope both sides practice what they preach.

If they’re true to their convictions, the calls to end the division and derision may have some effect.

But actions speak louder than words.

We’ll see if it lasts until Election Day.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com

Ed Socha is a retired newspaper editor with more than 40 years’ experience in community journalism.

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.