'Corey Was The Very Best Of Us': Firefighter Killed In Trump Rally Shooting

BUTLER, PA — Corey Comperatore died a hero, shielding his family from bullets intended for former President Donald Trump.

He was attending a campaign rally Saturday in Butler when a gunman opened fire on the event from an elevated position outside the venue, authorities said, killing Comperatore, who dove in front of his loved ones to protect them. Trump was shot in the ear, the former president said.

“The hatred for one man took the life of the one man we loved the most,” Comperatore’s sister, Dawn Comperatore Schafer, wrote on Facebook. “He was a hero that shielded his daughters. His wife and girls just lived through the unthinkable and unimaginable.”

A Butler County resident, Comperatore had just turned 50, his sister wrote. He worked as a project and tooling engineer and was a former chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Co., where he had served for over 20 years.

READ MORE: Trump Rally Shooter Acted Alone, But Motive Still A Mystery

Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered U.S. and commonwealth flags flown at half staff and said Sunday he had spoken to Comperatore’s wife and two daughters.

“Corey was a girl dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community. And most especially, Corey loved his family,” Shapiro said in a video posted to social media. “Corey was the very best of us.”

Comperatore was also an avid Trump supporter. The former president extended his condolences to the family, as did President Joe Biden.

"He was a father. He was protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired and he lost his life, God love him," said Biden.

At least two other people were injured: David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. Both were listed in stable condition as of Sunday. The Secret Service killed the gunman, the agency said.

“The loss of a brother runs very deep and I can only imagine how the rest of the family is feeling,” Steven Warheit wrote on social media. “From us skipping school to go hunting or fishing to scratching for change for gas money the memories are endless.

“Corey Comperatore was a great man that loved his family fiercely and did the same with god.”

A GoFundMe to support the family had received nearly $700,000 in donations as of Sunday evening.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.