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Trump supporters in Tucson report eye injuries after rally
People who attended Donald Trump’s rally in Tucson last week reported experiencing severe eye pain after the event.
TUCSON, Ariz. — It’s a mystery at a Donald Trump rally that left multiple people with eye injuries and few answers.
The News 4 Tucson Investigators spoke exclusively with six people who were seated on stage behind the former president during his rally in Tucson last week. Three of them agreed to on camera interviews.
All of the people we spoke with experienced eye irritation and sought medical attention.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Varios partidarios de Trump que estuvieron sentados en el escenario durante un mitin en Tucson sufrieron lesiones en los ojos
One of them is Mayra Rodriguez, who became a prominent figure within the Republican Party after becoming a Planned Parenthood “whistleblower.”
Rodriguez used to be a Planned Parenthood Director but made a notable transition into a strong pro-life advocate and supporter of Donald Trump.
Rodriguez said her presence behind Trump at his Tucson rally was ironic because she was seated behind former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during an event in 2016.
She told News 4 Tucson’s Chief Investigative Reporter Chorus Nylander that she enjoyed the rally but started experiencing severe eye issues after leaving.
“As soon as we left and we stepped outside my eyes were burning,” Rodriguez said.
At first she just thought it was allergies.
She lives near Phoenix, which is about a 90-minute drive from Tucson, by the time she arrived home she said she decided to go to an emergency room.
“The emergency room staff, from the triage nurse to the PA [Physicians Assistant] asked are you sure you didn’t get sprayed with something your symptoms look like you got sprayed with something,” she said.
The N4T Investigators spoke with her on Friday the morning after the event, she was nearly blind.
“I can’t see anything when I try to open my eyes. I see a bright light. It hurts, it hurts a lot to open my eyes. I have this cold cloth I put on and take off constantly. It’s horrible,” she explained.
She said the doctors were not able to pinpoint exactly what caused her injuries. Her vision has started to improve as of Tuesday so her blindness does not appear permanent.
Her initial thoughts of it being allergies seemed to go out the window when she started to hear from several other people that were seated near her at the event, reporting they too suffered eye injuries.
The N4T Investigators spoke with a brother and sister that were seated near Mayra, they did not want to be identified.
“It kept getting worse and worse, my eyes were watering a lot, my nose started running then I started feeling my face get really flushed and my neck felt like it was on fire and it just progressed from there,” the sister said.
Her brother told us, “It was all focused on my eyes, my eyes were red like hell you know, it’s unbearable. I couldn’t handle it.”
The other supporters who did not agree to on camera told us about very similar injuries. One woman who is a local realtor said she had to cancel all her showings over the weekend because she couldn’t see well.
Rodriguez said she reported her experience to the Trump campaign and was told it was investigating.
On Tuesday, after repeated inquiries from the N4T Investigators a Trump Senior Campaign Advisor sent us the following statement:
“The Trump campaign has been collecting information. We remain committed to the countless patriots that attend our high-energy, high-impact rallies across the country.”
The U.S. Secret Service tells us it was not made aware of the situation but said there was no known threat to former president Trump.
The News 4 Tucson Investigators will update you as we learn more information.
UP TO SPEED
In a search warrant application, Richfield police detail reports by first responders alleging a slow staff response and allegations of forged documents in the death.
RICHFIELD, Minn. — A Richfield care facility is under investigation after allegations by first responders that staff there did not check on a patient as she was dying and then forged paperwork to cover it up.
In an application for a search warrant, police requested access to medical records and surveillance video related to the treatment and death of 55-year-old Candace Columbus, a patient at The Villas in Richfield. Investigator Sammy Gonzalez details a report by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) based on accounts from a Hennepin County paramedic on Oct. 7, 2024, the day Columbus died at the facility located at 7727 Portland Ave. S.
That paramedic reported that they suspected that facility staff suspected the patient was dying but did not check on her or call 911. The first responder said that when first responders were finally called, staffers claimed that Columbus had a Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR) but did not have a form on hand. Paramedics also reported seeing staff members filling out a DNR Form, which would constitute forgery.
Investigator Gonzalez says in the warrant application that body cam video from a Richfield police officer who responded to The Villas recorded the interaction between the reporting paramedic and care staff, including a phone conversation between one employee and someone claiming to be the facility manager, who appears to be giving the staff instructions on how to fill out the DNR form.
“Your affiant (Gonzalez) requests further information from The Villas at Richfield that will lead to further evidence of forgery and/or vulnerable adult abuse/neglect,” the application reads.
Richfield Police Lt. Brad Drayna told KARE 11 that the ongoing investigation prevents the department from providing anything beyond the information in the search warrant. An administrator for The Villas says a statement on the patient’s death and investigation will be released later Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS — Christmas came early for Minnesotans watching the trick-or-treat forecast for Thursday, as the news about impending snow is practically begging for related discussions about the infamous Halloween Blizzard of ’91.
While parents lugged their small ghosts, goblins and ghouls from door to door — layers of warm clothes and heaps of snow be damned — they could already tell this particular storm would be one for the record books.
When all was said and done, more than 8 inches of snow fell in the course of only a few hours, leaving Minnesotans with much work when the sun came up the next morning.
So, will we have a ’24-style repeat of ’91? Only time will tell, but for now, we’re bringing back a few classics from the archives to get everyone in the mood for another snowy (and spooky!) celebration.
See our story, “Helping in the Halloween Blizzard” above, and more from the archives below.
New York State authorities confirm that a woman and two kids children went over a guard rail and into the falls Monday night. They have not been found.
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The New York State Park Police and the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation are investigating an incident on Goat Island in Niagara Falls.
According to a release on Tuesday by the New York State Police, officers responded to an incident that happened on or around Goat Island around 9 p.m. on Monday evening.
In an updated release on Wednesday the NYSP confirmed that a 33-year-old woman, a 9-year-old, and a 5-month-old crossed over the safety guard rail and went over Niagara Falls on Luna Island, which is attached to Goat Island.
The victims have been identified as Chaianti Means, 33, Roman Rossman, 9, and Mecca Means 5-months-old.
According to the NYSP release, “The investigation has determined that this incident was intentional in nature, though the circumstances remain under investigation. New York State Park Police and State Police search/rescue efforts were conducted with negative results. This incident deems no public threat to safety.”
NYSP Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Aviation, Underwater Recovery Unit, New York State Park Police and Niagara Falls Police Department are assisting in the investigation.
2 On Your Side will update this story when we receive new information from State Police.
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