From the Miami Herald:
A Republican activist who has been a reliable donor to Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — despite a racist tweet that put him on the outs with DeSantis’ predecessor, Rick Scott — shot a woman and then himself in the parking lot of a Palm Beach County restaurant, according to sheriff’s deputies.
The activist, 72-year-old Steve Alembik, died. The woman, wounded in the back and arm, survived when she ran into the restaurant bleeding and was rushed to the hospital.
The shooting happened at a Burgerfi outlet in Delray Beach a week ago Monday, although Alembik’s identity wasn’t revealed until last Friday in the Boca Raton News. The wounded victim was believed to be his wife.
Over the past 20 years, Alembik, gave more than $200,000 in political contributions, mainly to Republicans, including thousands of dollars to both DeSantis and Donald Trump. The founder of a Boca Raton digital marketing company, the Democrat-turned-Republican earned notoriety in 2018 by referring to former President Barack Obama as a “f******* Muslim n*****” in a post on the social media platform X, then known as Twitter.
While Alembik’s remarks caused Republicans to distance from him at the time, he remained active in GOP circles. From the Atlanta Black Star:
Alembik was declared dead at the scene by paramedics. On Thursday afternoon, Jennifer Remaland Alembik, his ex-wife and the mother of his three daughters, sent a funeral notice to Republican Party members, a homegoing service scheduled for Friday, Oct. 20.
Many GOP heavyweights took to social media to give tributes, including Trump and DeSantis.
Former U.S. House candidate and far-right commentator Laura Loomer posted her thoughts about her friend on X, saying: “The tragedy surrounding Steve’s suicide has shocked everyone, and as details come out, people will probably be judgmental. I hope he is remembered for all of the good he did throughout his life as opposed to the darkness and tragedy that surrounds his last moments on this planet.”
Both reports mention Alembik had mental health issues, but the motive for the incident is unclear at this time.
