At the Pennsylvania rally for former President Donald Trump, where a shooter tried to assassinate him, retired Buffalo Township Fire Chief Corey Comperatore was fatally shot while shielding his family from gunfire.
The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, aimed at Trump from a rooftop 130 yards away, but it was Comperatore, sitting near Trump, who was struck and killed.
Comperatore, 50, was with his wife and daughter Allyson at the rally. Witnesses describe how he acted immediately to protect his family, ensuring their safety at the cost of his own life. Audience members made desperate attempts to save him, but the severity of his injuries was too great.
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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said at a news conference on Sunday, “Corey died a hero.”
Family and community tribute.
Comperatore’s family and the local community are mourning his loss. His sister shared an emotional tribute on Facebook, highlighting his heroism and the deep love he had for his family.
Comperatore’s daughter, Allyson, also took to social media, calling her father a “real-life superhero.” She recounted his swift actions during the chaos, emphasizing his selflessness and love for his family.
“He died a real-life superhero. They (media) are not going to tell you how quickly he threw my mom and I to the ground. They are not going to tell you that he shielded my body from the bullet that came at us.”
Trump campaign sets up GoFundMe for victims.
So far, the GoFundMe fundraiser for the Comperatore family and those injured at the rally (which was set up by a Trump finance person) has raised over $4 million with the help of Kid Rock and over 55,000 patriots.
Virginia tribute to Comperatore
Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin has ordered all Virginia flags to be lowered to half-staff from noon on Monday, July 15th, until sunset on Tuesday, July 16th, in memory and respect of Corey Comperatore and in solidarity with Pennsylvanians.
Friends, colleagues and neighbors pay tribute.
Firefighters at Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company in Butler held a memorial for Comperatore, with his gear draped in black and displayed. Craig Cirrincione, a firefighter attending, said: “He’s a great man that deserves honor and respect. He wouldn’t want us to be sad… He would want us to share the good times and think of him.”
Randy Reamer, president of the fire company, called Mr. Comperatore a “stand-up guy” and “a true brother of the fire service” saying, “He definitely stood up for what he believed in, never backed down to anyone.”
In addition to his volunteer work, Mr. Comperatore was a project and tooling engineer at a plastics manufacturing company. “He was a good person,” neighbor Matt Achilles told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We might not have agreed on the same political views, but that didn’t stop him from being a good friend and neighbor.” Achilles added that Comperatore had even donated money to his family when he was in the hospital.
Paul Hayden, a neighbor for 20 years, described him as an “easy-going guy.” “He knew I was a Biden fan, I knew he was a Trump fan,” Hayden told NBC News. “But we never let that come in between us. We still said ‘hi’ and talked to each other. Some people take it to the extreme.”
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened on Saturday that took the life of his friend.
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