DONALD TRUMP

San Diegans react to attempted assassination of Former President Trump

People on both sides of the political aisle told NBC 7 they're concerned about the aftermath of the attack

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San Diegans took to Santee Lakes on a sunny Sunday morning to enjoy some fresh air and a beautiful view. Still, for couples like Carl Ferree and his wife Beverly, news of the assassination attempt on Former President Donald Trump weighed on their mind. The headlines harkened back to a dark time in American history.

"I'm at an age where I can remember all the way back to the Kennedy assassination and all the rest of them that occurred in the 1960's," said Carl Ferree.

Ferree said he and his wife Beverly plan to vote by mail in the November election. Former President Trump isn't their ideal candidate, but Ferree said the solution isn't to resort to violence. As for the political implications this might have on the race for the White House, Ferree believes that the ball is now in the Democratic Party's court.

Members are worried how this might impact support for the Former President moving forward. NBC 7's Dana Williams has more.

"I kind of feel that it might give Former President Trump some sympathy. But a lot of it depends also on how the Democrats respond," said Ferree.

On the other side of the political aisle, Camila Schuh came out to Santee Lakes to enjoy the day with her husband and two young children. Schuh, originally from Brazil, has spent the last 10 years living in San Diego with her family. Brazil is a country that Schuh said she has seen first-hand experience similar political turmoil like the U.S.

"My country is running a lot of things of communism and people were getting - suffering of that and I think here in the states people have not exactly the picture of what is communism and what that can bring for the people," said Schuh.

NBC 7's Jeanette Quezada spoke with local residents throughout San Diego County who were shocked to hear about the shooting, including one Trump supporter who was sad that something like this could happen in the U.S.

In the back of Schuh's mind, she is not worried about the safety of her family when it comes to the fallout from the attempt on the Former president's life. Her concern is how this might affect voters' decision at the polls.

"I don't think we should use this as a tooling for voting or not voting, yeah. Otherwise this is going to keep happening, right? This is not supposed to be happening at all," said Schuh.

Families like the Schuhs and Ferrees may be on different sides of the political spectrum, but there is one thing they can agree on.

"Get away from all that and enjoy life like it really is, rather than seeing how it is on television or social media," said Ferree.

NBC 7's Joey Safchik speaks with a national security expert who says the potential for misinformation to spread and lead to reactionary violence is a real threat. 
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