Ex-volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore ID’d as Trump sniper victim, shielded his daughter from assassin’s bullets
A former Pennsylvania volunteer fire chief was identified as the victim killed by a sniper who shot and wounded former President Donald Trump.
Corey Comperatore, 50, who served as the fire chief for Buffalo Township, was shot and killed by Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, at a rally for Trump that left the former president and two others wounded on Saturday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Sunday.
The other two victims, who are now listed in stable condition, have been identified as fellow Pennsylvanian’s David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township.
Comperatore’s sister, Dawn Comperatore Schafer, said her brother died while trying to protect his daughter when gunfire rang out during Trump’s speech.
“The hatred for one man took the life of the one man we loved the most. He was a hero that shielded his daughters,” she wrote on Facebook.
“His wife and girls just lived through the unthinkable and unimaginable,” she added.
Comperatore’s daughter, Allyson, called her father “the best dad a girl could ever ask for,” as she mourned his sudden death.
Allyson said that when the gunshots rang out, Comperatore quickly threw her and her mother to the ground to try to protect them after Trump was shot.
“He truly loved us enough to take a real bullet for us,” Allyson wrote on Facebook.
“And I want nothing more than to cry on him and tell him thank you.”
Comperatore’s wife, Helen, echoed her daughter’s description of the former fire chief as a “real-life superhero” who protected them.
“Yesterday, what [was meant to] be such an exciting day for my husband, especially, turned into a nightmare for our family,” Helen wrote on Facebook.
“What my precious girls had to witness is unforgivable,” she added. “He died the hero he always was.”
Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Kip Johnston described Comperatore as a family man who stepped down as chief in the early 2000s to spend time with his two daughters.
Everything we know about the Trump assassination attempt
- 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was identified as the shooter who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
- Crooks was shot dead by Secret Service agents.
- The gunman grazed Trump’s ear, killed a 50-year-old retired fire chief, and injured two other rally-goers.
- Investigators detailed Crooks’ search history to lawmakers, revealing that he looked for the dates of Trump’s appearances and the Democratic National Convention.
- Crooks’ search history also revealed a broad interest in high-profile people and celebrities, regardless of their political affiliation, FBI officials reportedly said.
- Trump exclusively recounted surviving the “surreal” assassination attempt with The Post at the rally, remarking, “I’m supposed to be dead.”
- High-profile politicians, including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, addressed the nation about the shooting, calling it “a heinous, horrible and cowardly act.”
“His two girls and his wife was everything,” Johnston told the Post. “Great leader, great family man, good friend.
“Couldn’t ask for a better [firefighter],” he added.
Shapiro described Comperatore as an “avid supporter” of the former president who was excited to cheer for Trump at the rally in Butler.
Randy Reamer, president of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Co., noted that while Comperatore was vocal about his politics, he didn’t believe in pushing it on others.
“You knew his [political] stance. If you accepted it, that’s fine. If you didn’t, that’s fine. He didn’t care,” Reamer said, adding that Comperatore was an ideal firefighter.
Here’s the latest on the assassination attempt against Donald Trump:
Would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks visited gun range dozens of times — including Christmas — for ‘intense preparation’- Newly surfaced texts show Trump rally gunman was on authorities’ radar more than 90 minutes before shooting: report
- FBI to conduct victim interview with Donald Trump after assassination attempt
- Ex-Trump doc says FBI’s Wray is ‘wrong’ to doubt ex-prez was struck by bullet: ‘Absolutely no evidence’
- Trump defends female Secret Service agent who was criticized after assassination attempt: ‘So brave’
“He was one of them guys you wanted to go into a fire with, because you knew you were coming back out,” he said. “S—t hit the fan, and you were coming back out with him.”
The governor also hailed Comperatore as a local hero and has ordered flags to be flown half staff in his honor.
“Corey died a hero,” Shapiro said. “Corey was the very best of us.”
A GoFundMe page to support Helen and Allyson’s has already raised more than $27,000 as of noon Sunday.
Officials say Crooks was stationed on a rooftop near Trump’s rally event when he fired multiple rounds on the former president and spectators before he was ultimately killed by a Secret Service sniper.
An AR-style rifle was found at the scene, with records indicating that the firearm was purchased by the gunman’s father.
Officials have not shared a possible motive in the shooting.
