Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Sunday that the man shot and killed at a rally for former President Donald Trump on Saturday was a 50-year-old volunteer firefighter who had taken cover to protect his family as gunfire rang out. The victim was identified as Corey Comperatore, according to a Facebook post from his family.
“My brother, Corey Comperatore, was killed at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. The hatred of one man took the life of the man we loved most,” the victim’s sister said in a post on Sunday.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Comperatore, a former Buffalo Township fire chief, had spoken with Comperatore’s family and shared portions of the conversation with reporters.
“Corey died a hero. Corey rushed in to protect his family at the rally last night,” Shapiro said. “Corey was the best of us.” Comperatore is survived by his wife and two daughters. “Corey was a father to girls,” Shapiro said.
“Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community and especially his family,” Shapiro said. Shapiro described the victim as a “staunch supporter of the former president.”
Shortly after Trump began speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania, a gunshot rang out and a bullet grazed Trump’s right ear, wounding him as well.
The FBI has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as a suspect in what the government is calling an assassination attempt on President Trump.
