Pennsylvania mom dodges a bullet (and a bear) in her own backyard: Trump supporter recalls taking cover at Butler rally months after getting mauled

They opportunity bad luck comes successful threes – but Pennsylvania mom Lee Ann Galante is desperately hoping nan aged adage does not travel true.

Her traumatic twelvemonth has already seen her mauled by a carnivore and witnesser a politically inspired execution – some successful her location town.

'I utilized to wonderment really beardown I was, but aft making it done 2 of nan astir traumatic events I could ever imagine, now I cognize I tin upwind almost immoderate storm,' nan dental hygienist told DailyMail.com successful an exclusive interview.

Galante, who lives successful Butler, Pennsylvania, was astatine Donald Trump's July 13 rally successful nan metropolis erstwhile 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks attempted to assassinate nan erstwhile president.

His bullets killed 1 man and earnestly injured 2 others, pinch Trump suffering a grazed correct ear.

Galante had attended respective Trump rallies before, but erstwhile she and her 21-year-old boy Marc showed up connected that fateful Saturday, they ne'er imagined they would witnesser nan statesmanlike campaigner get struck by a slug conscionable a fewer feet from them.

Galante revealed that she had signed up arsenic a unpaid to thief hole nan event. 

'This was nan 5th rally I've been to, and correct distant I noticed a deficiency of accustomed security,' she said. 

'Normally, location were section police, nan Secret Service and a group of backstage agents, who I ever assumed were personally hired by Trump.

'There were 2 gates – for illustration nan ones you spot astatine a rodeo – wherever supporters were lining up. But location were not astir capable information group manning them.

'The metallic detectors were still not group up moreover arsenic group prepared to travel in.'

Galante said her sister and immoderate friends besides attended nan rally, and they group up section chairs successful beforehand of nan building wherever nan assassin laic connected nan roof. 

The group spotted nan suspicious looking young man and notified section police, who opportunity they tried to telephone connected their radios, but for immoderate reason, their radios were not connected nan aforesaid transmission arsenic nan Secret Service. So, their reports only reached section rule enforcement.

'When nan shooter crawled up nan ladder to nan rooftop, my sister and her friends realized it was a vulnerable business and they fled nan area by crawling nether nan chain-linked fence,' Galante said. 

Meanwhile, she and her boy were opinionated only a fewer feet from nan podium wherever Trump would beryllium addressing nan crowd, erstwhile she besides noticed thing troubling.

'I noticed location was personification crouching connected nan tile of nan AGR building and respective snipers, situated connected a tile apical straight down nan bleachers, appeared to beryllium watching him done their binoculars, alternatively of watching Trump, who conscionable arrived,' she said.

'Trump climbed retired of nan car and made his measurement to nan grandstand, but immoderate of nan snipers continued to train their binoculars connected nan man connected nan tile top, alternatively of Trump.

'My boy and I were opinionated astir 15 feet successful beforehand of nan president erstwhile suddenly, we heard a bid of popping sounds, for illustration six aliases 7 successful a row. 

'My first thought was why would they let kids to bring firecrackers into nan venue?' she said.

'Then we saw Trump drawback nan broadside of his caput and autumn to nan ground! And nan Secret Service was abruptly each complete him, we knew past nan sound we heard was gunshots!'

Galante said her gut guidance arsenic a mother was to push her boy to nan crushed and propulsion her assemblage complete him.

'We stayed connected nan crushed for respective minutes, until nan gunfire stopped earlier getting backmost connected our feet,' she said. 

'You would presume by now that group would beryllium stampeding to get out, but astir group were conscionable opinionated location trying to make consciousness of it all.

'There was a batch of confusion, and erstwhile we saw nan blood, we feared nan president had been earnestly wounded. Yet he seemed wished to calm our fears by pumping his fist and shouting, 'fight!'

Galante said erstwhile Trump was safely disconnected stage, she witnessed first responders transportation chap protagonist retired firefighter Corey Comperatore and 2 different injured attendees to a waiting ambulance.

But because of nan magnitude of humor connected Comperatore, they feared he had been mortally wounded. The former occurrence main died a hero, spending his last moments  shielding his woman and girl from gunfire. 

James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, remains successful infirmary successful superior but unchangeable information astir 2 weeks aft he was injured. The 3rd man shot, David Dutch of New Kensington was released connected Wednesday.

Galante said nan play of those fewer moments made her deliberation backmost to 4 months ago, to different terrifying arena from which she hardly made it retired alive. 

It was a precocious evening successful March erstwhile she decided to fto her canine Smokie retired into her backyard arsenic she usually does. 

'He's a mini 9lb Pomeranian and my champion pal. We built a small three-foot obstruction successful a conception of nan gait truthful he could spell retired connected his own, though I would ever support an oculus connected him,' she said. 

'I was talking pinch a friend connected my phone, erstwhile I heard Smokie commencement barking. I hurried to spot what was incorrect and I could not judge my eyes erstwhile I spotted 3 carnivore cubs climbing a maple character successful nan backmost garden. 

'I was shocked because successful nan 37 years I lived successful our subdivision, I'd ne'er seen a bear.'

Galante said she feared nan cubs mightiness harm Smokie truthful she ran retired to rescue him. 

But arsenic soon arsenic she did, an angry mother carnivore appeared aft someway hurdling complete nan obstruction pinch ease. 

'As I grabbed Smokie I could spot nan carnivore stepping towards nan platform wherever I was,' she said. 

'I grabbed nan canine and turned to tally into nan house, but nan adjacent point I knew, nan carnivore was connected my back, slamming my look into nan cement. 

'I heard nan sickening sound of bones crunching successful my face, and I felt utmost pain. 

'She past took clasp of nan backmost of my caput pinch her elephantine jaws and I thought she was going to propulsion nan backmost of my caput off!'

Galante says thing distracted nan carnivore for conscionable a moment, giving her clip to move look up, but abruptly nan immense animal was connected her again.

'The adjacent point I knew I was staring into nan look of nan bear,' she said. 'She spot down connected my arm, and I could consciousness nan tegument tear, nan symptom was horrible. 

'Out of nan area of my oculus I could spot Smokie barking furiously and jumping connected nan backmost doorway and I knew somehow, I had to effort and get up and scope nan door.

'I prayed to God nan carnivore would stop,' she said. 'And God must person heard my prayer, because erstwhile again, she was distracted agelong capable for maine to propulsion myself to my feet, drawback Smokie and get inside, conscionable successful clip to spot nan carnivore coming astatine america again.

'I retrieve proceeding location that bears tin unfastened doors,' she said. 'And I feared nan immense beast would extremity up successful my kitchen. So, I slammed nan dense interior door.'

Galante says location was humor everywhere, and she collapsed. 

Knowing she had to telephone for help, she crawled to a cordless onshore statement that was connected a antagonistic successful nan room and called 911.

'The usability told maine thief was connected nan way, and she asked if I could crawl to nan beforehand doorway truthful I could fto nan paramedics in. Somehow, I managed to do arsenic she asked,' she said. 

'There was humor everyplace and it looked arsenic though personification had been murdered.

'My boy Marc was owed location shortly, and I didn't want him to spot each this blood, truthful I phoned my friend Michelle, and pleaded pinch her to travel cleanable up nan mess.'

Galante was rushed to Butler Hospital, wherever they put a fewer impermanent staples successful nan backmost of her caput to clasp her scalp together, earlier transporting her to Allegheny Hospital successful Pittsburg.

'Doctors were shocked that I survived nan sadistic attack,' she said. 

'They told maine nan carnivore had torn my scalp distant from nan backmost of my receptor and I needed almost 60 staples successful nan backmost of my head. 

'My look was moreover worse,' she said. 'My chemoreceptor was crushed arsenic were my precocious sinuses connected some sides. They had to put 2 metallic plates successful 1 feature and 1 sheet connected nan different side. 

'My arm, wherever nan carnivore had bitten me, required respective stitches too. Several teeth were loose, and my precocious articulator is still numb.'

Lee Ann said not only were her injuries highly painful, but she was put connected a 'no chew diet,' for nan adjacent 7 weeks.

'And to make matters moreover worse… I was owed to return nan 'trip of a lifetime,' nan pursuing month,' she said. 

'My boy and I were walking to Italy to sojourn family and I had ne'er been retired of nan US. It was going to beryllium my dream vacation. 

'Doctors said I would person to cancel nan trip, but I was wished to go, moreover if I couldn't eat.'

To everyone's shock, conscionable 4 weeks later, she convinced doctors to fto her spell and Lee Ann and her boy Marc were connected a level heading for Rome.

'I wasn't going to fto that carnivore extremity me,' she said. 'And moreover though I couldn't bask each nan delicious Italian food, I convinced my doctors to fto maine go.'

Galante said she and her boy spent 2 fabulous weeks successful Italy, visiting family and making caller friends. 

She says she figured retired really to trim pasta up into mini pieces truthful she could bask nan occasional meal. And contempt nan truth she didn't look her best, she had nary regrets astir going.

Despite enduring 2 terrifying and life-changing ordeals, Galante says she now feels beardown capable to return connected anything. 

As for nan chaotic animals, Galante revealed nan mama carnivore was euthanized pursuing nan onslaught aft she was deemed a threat to nan community, while her cubs were relocated to nan Allegheny mountains.