Trump rally shooting victims: US Marine veteran David Dutch, 57, is identified as one of two men injured when gunman fired at former president

One of the two men injured when a 20-year-old gunman opened fire at a Trump rally has been identified as a US Army veteran.

David Dutch, 57, was shot in the liver and chest Saturday night, according to the Marine Corps League, of which he is a member.

He had recently been installed as commander of Westmoreland County Marine Corps League Detachment No. 1416, TribLive reports.

“He has had one surgery and is having another this morning,” said the message from District 8 Deputy Commander Matt Popovich.

“He is currently in an induced coma.”

“Pray for him and his family,” Popovich pleaded.

“I’m sure this news will bring a lot of fear and anger, but be careful how you express it. Verbal or physical messages won’t help, but prayers and condolences will.”

One of Dutch’s neighbors, William Pepper, described him as a “good fellow.”

He and his girlfriend recall how Dutch came to their aid last month when their dog was dying and “carried the dog to the car.” according to the New York Post.

Dutch and another victim of the Pennsylvania shooting, James Copenhaver, 74, are now in stable condition, Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris said Sunday.

A third victim, Corey Comperatore, 50, was tragically killed when 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at Trump’s rally.

His family has told how Comperatore shielded his young daughter and wife from the gunfire.

“These victims and their families are certainly in our thoughts today,” Paris said.

Governor Josh Shapiro has since ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in Comperatore’s honor, praising the former volunteer firefighter as a hero for diving to protect his family from the hail of bullets.

“Corey jumped in to protect his family last night. He died a hero, he was the best of all of us,” the governor said at a news conference Sunday afternoon, adding that the father of two called himself a “girl dad” and a firefighter.

“Corey went to church every Sunday because he loved his community. And most of all, Corey loves his family. Corey was an avid supporter of the former president and was so excited to be with him in the community last night,” the governor said.

In the meantime, a GoFundMe has been set up for the surviving victims, along with Comperatore’s family, over $3.5 million raisedto which more than 48,000 people contributed.

A donor told Comperatore’s family: ‘There are no words I can put into one sentence that will make you feel better.

“Nobody should ever have to see that,” he said.

“Your father/husband was a hero and our hearts go out to you,” Stephanie Muma wrote.

“To the others who are seriously injured, we hope you are safe and make a full recovery.”

Another participant wrote that his/her sympathies go out to the families affected by the senseless violence.

“It is a stark reminder of the importance of compassion and community.

“I hope my contribution can provide some relief in these difficult times,” he continued.

‘Together we must work towards a future in which such events no longer occur.

“Let us unite in support and healing.”

Trump was also shot in his right ear by Crooks, who opened fire with an AR-style rifle from a rooftop 400 feet from the MAGA event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The former president grabbed his head and ducked as frightened bystanders ran outside, screaming.

He then stood up, pumped his fist and chanted “fight, fight, fight” as the Secret Service pushed him off the stage and into a procession.

In an interview on Sunday, Trump revealed that he saved his life by turning his head away from the crowd and looking at a video screen at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and said he wanted to keep talking after gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks punched him in the right ear.

He said on Sunday: ‘I rarely look away from the crowd. If I hadn’t done that at that moment, well, we wouldn’t have been talking today, would we?’

Trump noted that he had turned slightly to the right so he could read a graph about illegal immigrants.

“The most incredible thing was that not only did I turn, but I turned at exactly the right time and just enough,” he added, saying he survived “by luck or by God.”

‘If I turn it halfway, it hits the back of the brain. The other way goes right through [my skull]. And because the sign was high up, I’m looking up. The chance of me making a perfect turn is probably one-tenth of a percent, so I shouldn’t be here.’

“I shouldn’t be here, I should be dead,” Trump told the New York Post. “I should be dead.”

‘Cause the thing was an eighth of an inch away. That I would turn around at that exact moment, where he [the gunman] wouldn’t stop shooting is pretty amazing. Pretty amazing. I shouldn’t be here.’

Trump turned his head at the crucial moment and ended up with a bloody ear. He was dragged off the stage by his Secret Service team, but not before giving his supporters a clenched fist salute.

The former president was delivering a speech during the now-iconic moment when he raised his fist in the air and addressed the stunned audience with the words “fight.”

“A lot of people say it’s the most iconic picture they’ve ever seen,” Trump said. “They’re right, and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture.”

He said he wanted his fans to know that he was okay “and that America is moving forward, we are moving forward and we are strong.”

“The energy that came from the people there at that moment, just standing there; it’s hard to describe what that felt like, but I knew the world was watching. I knew history would judge this, and I knew I had to let them know we were OK,” Trump added.