Former Fire Chief Killed at Trump Rally Hailed Hero after Protecting His Family from Gunfire

An attendee killed at a campaign rally for Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13, has been identified as Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief, who died after he was shot when he was attempting to cover his family from gunfire during an assassination against Trump.

“Yesterday time stopped,” his daughter, Allyson Comperatore, wrote in a now-deleted social media post. She called him a “real-life superhero” and said he “quickly threw” her and her mother to the ground and “shielded my body from the bullet that came at us.”

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“He loved his family. He truly loved us enough to take a real bullet for us. We lost a selfless, loving husband, father, brother, uncle, son, and friend,” she added. “And I will never stop thinking about him and mourning over him until the day that I die, too. July 13th will forever be a day that changed my life. I will never be the same person I was less than 24 hours ago.”

Remembering Corey Comperatore

According to Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, Comperatore, 50, leaves behind his wife and two daughters.

“He loved his community and his family,” the governor said in a statement. “Corey was an avid supporter of the former president. He was so excited to be there last night with the community. Corey died a hero - Corey dived on his family to protect them last night. Corey was the very best of us.”

According to NBC Connecticut, at least two others were wounded during the assassination attempt on Trump at Saturday’s campaign rally. The Pennsylvania State Police identified the two as David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania.  As of Sunday, both were listed in stable condition.

The shooter, identified by the Secret Service as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, was killed after he opened fire on the former president from an elevated position. Trump, who was shot at the top of his right ear, initially took cover behind the podium from which he was speaking. Secret Service members then rushed and helped lift Trump to his feet. Then Trump stood up, with blood on his face, and raised his fist in the air to cheering supporters before being escorted off the stage.

A Tragic Loss

“The PA Trump Rally claimed the life of my brother, Corey Comperatore,” Dawn Comperatore Schafer wrote on Facebook on Sunday morning.

She noted that her younger brother turned 50 and posted a photo of him with her family holding up 5 and 0 balloons as part of his birthday, Independent reports.

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“The hatred for one man took the life of the one man we loved the most. He was a hero that shielded his daughters. His wife and girls just lived through the unthinkable and unimaginable,” she said. “Hatred has no limits, and love has no bounds. Pray for my sister-in-law, nieces, my mother, sister, me, and his nieces and nephews, as this feels like a terrible nightmare, but we know it is our painful reality.”

With Trump’s authorization, Meredith O’Rourke, the national finance director for his 2024 election campaign, launched a GoFundMe page for the victims. As of morning afternoon, the campaign has raised nearly $4 million, exceeding its $1 million goal.

Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.

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Credit: Crosswalk Headlines

Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Allyson Comperatore

Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.