Malphine Fogel had former President Donald Trump’s full attention, and then everything exploded into chaos. The 95-year-old Butler woman met Saturday with Trump, the GOP presidential candidate, to discuss her son’s imprisonment in Russia. It was the most recent appeal to a powerful political figure to intercede on Marc Fogel’s behalf. But we won’t know whether Trump would have said Fogel’s name during his rally in Butler County. Less than 30 minutes later, the event came to a shocking halt when gunfire rang out. Trump was swarmed by Secret Service agents and ducked behind his podium as he put a hand to his bloody ear, which Trump said later in a social media post was struck by a bullet. The event was evacuated as Trump was secured and law enforcement began to investigate. One spectator was killed, as was the suspected shooter. Marc Fogel, 62, of Oakmont, has been an international teacher since his college days at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He was arrested in Russia in August 2021 for possession of 7 grams of medical marijuana legally prescribed in Pennsylvania. He was sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony in 2022. Marc Fogel is rarely mentioned in discussions or press coverage of negotiations for the release of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan or Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. • Buffalo Township man killed at Trump rally remembered as good neighbor, dedicated public servant • What I saw: TribLive photographer describes shooting scene at Trump rally • Who is Thomas Crooks, the alleged gunman in the Trump shooting? • Headline • Trump survives assassination attempt in Butler; 2 dead, including suspected shooter from Bethel Park • Officials react to the violence at the Trump rally in Butler County • Photo gallery: Trump rally in Butler That’s something Malphine Fogel has long sought to change. Both Whelan and Gershkovich have been charged with espionage and designated wrongfully detained. Although Fogel’s charges are not for espionage, his case is not detached from such associations. He was a history teacher at the Anglo-American School of Moscow. That school was closed in 2023, with the Russian government labeling it a foreign agent. The day started well for the Fogel family. The crowd included a number of Fogel supporters who showed up in shirts sporting the teacher’s name or face. A coordinated Facebook campaign worked to get a high turnout, ready to bring up Marc Fogel’s story to speakers or media. Malphine Fogel met with multiple candidates or former candidates in the VIP tent before the speech. It was not political for her. It was a lifeline for her son. The big prize was the moment she got to speak to Trump. "He took my arm, and I told him (about Marc), and he said, ‘If I get in, I’ll get him out,’ ” she said. "I said, ‘Just don’t forget his name.’ And he said, ‘I won’t forget. Marc Fogel.’ ” Trump has spoken about Gershkovich and promised in a social media post that the reporter would be home shortly after the election if Trump wins back the White House. Malphine Fogel put out a video last week asking to meet with Trump as he came to her hometown for a rally. The request quickly worked, with Trump agreeing to a meeting. Someone else did mention Marc Fogel. Former U.S. Senate candidate Sean Parnell made an appearance at the event earlier in the day Saturday. He accused the Biden administration of forgetting about Fogel. During a meeting with Malphine Fogel, Parnell pledged to make Marc Fogel’s release his No. 1 priority if he were to be part of a Trump administration. Marc Fogel on Wednesday spoke his mother for the first time in weeks. That’s when she learned he had been admitted to a Russian hospital again. Based on information he provided during a May interview with TribLive, this would be his fourth hospitalization since his arrest. Marc Fogel has a well-documented history of back, knee and other problems. The family has provided the Trib with proof of his condition, including X-rays taken in a Moscow medical facility in 2013. He called again on Saturday morning with a message that he wanted to convey to Trump. "I am thankful that you have taken the time. I can’t even fathom to hear my mother’s constant prayers,” he said. "I am just in urgent need of being with my family. … I am wallowing in a lot of difficulty.” The Trump meeting comes after years of requests to President Joe Biden and the State Department from Fogel family members. Democratic and Republican legislators in the House and Senate have appealed for action on his case, including designating Marc Fogel as wrongfully detained. "He’s been there three years and never gotten that designation,” Malphine Fogel told Trump. "You have to remember his name.” Malphine Fogel was in a front row near the stage when the bullets flew. U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, covered her with his body. Back at her home afterward, Malphine Fogel was stunned and concerned for Trump. But she also was aware that a chance to have her son’s case talked about was gone, at least for now. Lori Falce is the Tribune-Review community engagement editor and an opinion columnist. For more than 30 years, she has covered Pennsylvania politics, Penn State, crime and communities. She joined the Trib in 2018. She can be reached at lfalce@triblive.com. Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free. Get Ad-Free > Sign Up for NotificationsStay up-to-date on important news from TribLIVE