During the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, a man who tragically lost his life dove onto his family in an attempt to shield them from the bullets, according to Pennsylvania's governor.
Man Killed in Shooting at Donald Trump Rally 'Tried to Shield Family' from Bullets, Says Governor





One man in the audience tragically lost his life while attempting to shield his family during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on Saturday, according to authorities.
Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteer fire chief, heroically dove onto his family members when gunfire erupted.
“Corey died a hero,” Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stated during a news conference on Sunday.
Pennsylvania state police reported that the other two individuals shot were 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, both in stable condition as of Sunday.
Governor Shapiro mentioned he had spoken with Mr. Comperatore’s wife and two daughters.
“Corey went to church every Sunday,” Shapiro said. “Corey loved his community. Most of all, Corey loved his family.”
He added that Mr. Comperatore was an enthusiastic supporter of Donald Trump and was thrilled to attend the rally on Saturday.
“Corey embodied the best of us. May his memory be a blessing,” Governor Shapiro said. “Last night was a shock... Political disagreements should never, ever result in violence.”
Mr. Comperatore’s daughter Allyson described him as "the best dad a girl could ever ask for" and noted that he "died a real-life superhero."
"He threw my mom and me to the ground... [and] shielded my body from the bullet that came at us," she wrote on Facebook.
His wife, Helen Comperatore, added: "What my precious girls had to witness is unforgivable."
A GoFundMe page set up for the family has raised over $830,000.
State police confirmed that Mr. Comperatore lived in Sarver, about 12 miles (19km) from the rally site in Butler, just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Firefighters at Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company in Butler held a memorial for Mr. Comperatore, draping his gear in black and displaying it.
Craig Cirrincione, a firefighter attending the memorial, said: "He's a great man who deserves the highest honor and respect.
"He wouldn't want us to sit here and be sad... He would want us to remember the good times and think of him."
Randy Reamer, president of the fire company, described Mr. Comperatore as "a stand-up guy" and "a true brother of the fire service."
"He always stood up for what he believed in, never backing down from anyone," Reamer said.
In addition to his volunteer firefighting work, Mr. Comperatore worked as a project and tooling engineer at a plastics manufacturing company, according to his social media profiles.
“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.”
“He donated money to us when I was in the hospital and he would always come by at our yard sales. He always waved hello when I drove past his house,” Achilles said.
Paul Hayden, 62, a neighbor of Mr. Comperatore for 20 years, described him as an "easy-going guy" and said political differences did not affect their friendship.
“He knew I was a Biden fan, I knew he was a Trump fan,” Hayden told NBC News. “But we never let that come between us. We still said ‘hi’ to each other, we still talked to each other. Some people take it to the extreme.”
Governor Shapiro also mentioned that he spoke with the family of one of those injured, but declined to provide details about the conversation.
One of the six to eight shots fired at the rally grazed former President Trump's ear. The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was fatally shot by Secret Service officers assigned to protect the former president.