Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter and father of two, tragically lost his life while protecting his loved ones during a shooting at a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
In a heartfelt Facebook post, Allyson, one of Comperatore’s daughters, praised her father’s heroic actions, stating, “He threw my mom and I to the ground… (and) shielded my body from the bullet that came at us.” She described him as “the best dad a girl could ever ask for,” emphasizing his selfless nature and willingness to help others.
Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro praised Comperatore as a hero and announced that state flags would be lowered to half-staff in his memory.Shapiro also noted that he was an enthusiastic supporter of the former president and was thrilled to attend the rally.
The other victims of the shooting were identified as David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, both from Pennsylvania and reported to be in stable condition.
The gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from nearby Bethel Park, was killed by a Secret Service sniper. A GoFundMe page set up to support the Comperatore family had raised nearly $650,000 by Sunday evening.
Comperatore, who enjoyed fishing and worked at a plastics manufacturing company in addition to his volunteer firefighting duties, attended the rally with his family amidst a large crowd of Trump supporters. When the gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop, Comperatore selflessly shielded his family members, ultimately sacrificing his life.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, praised Corey Comperatore, calling him a hero and saying, “Corey was the very best of us.”
At the rally, emergency room physician Dr James Sweetland rushed to assist Comperatore after he was shot. Comperatore was found lying in a pool of blood, and with the help of two individuals, Sweetland lifted him onto a bench to perform CPR. Another person applied pressure to Comperatore’s wound above his ear, but Sweetland could not detect a pulse. Two Pennsylvania State troopers assisted in moving Comperatore onto a stretcher.
David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, were identified as the two critically wounded rally attendees. Dutch, a former Marine Corps member and long-time Siemens employee, was described by his sister, Jennifer Veri-Grazier, as being “ecstatic” about attending the rally. He is currently hospitalized, being treated for liver damage and broken ribs.
Copenhaver, a registered Democrat, is married with at least one son. Albert Quaye, a supervisor in Moon Township, knew Copenhaver from local board of supervisor meetings, which Copenhaver began attending to voice concerns about a local development project. Both injured are receiving treatment at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Law enforcement officials reported that the victims were shot by the gunman, who fired from an elevated position outside the security perimeter. The suspected gunman, identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was killed by Secret Service agents.
In a heartfelt Facebook post, Allyson, one of Comperatore’s daughters, praised her father’s heroic actions, stating, “He threw my mom and I to the ground… (and) shielded my body from the bullet that came at us.” She described him as “the best dad a girl could ever ask for,” emphasizing his selfless nature and willingness to help others.
Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro praised Comperatore as a hero and announced that state flags would be lowered to half-staff in his memory.Shapiro also noted that he was an enthusiastic supporter of the former president and was thrilled to attend the rally.
The other victims of the shooting were identified as David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, both from Pennsylvania and reported to be in stable condition.
The gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from nearby Bethel Park, was killed by a Secret Service sniper. A GoFundMe page set up to support the Comperatore family had raised nearly $650,000 by Sunday evening.
Comperatore, who enjoyed fishing and worked at a plastics manufacturing company in addition to his volunteer firefighting duties, attended the rally with his family amidst a large crowd of Trump supporters. When the gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop, Comperatore selflessly shielded his family members, ultimately sacrificing his life.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, praised Corey Comperatore, calling him a hero and saying, “Corey was the very best of us.”
At the rally, emergency room physician Dr James Sweetland rushed to assist Comperatore after he was shot. Comperatore was found lying in a pool of blood, and with the help of two individuals, Sweetland lifted him onto a bench to perform CPR. Another person applied pressure to Comperatore’s wound above his ear, but Sweetland could not detect a pulse. Two Pennsylvania State troopers assisted in moving Comperatore onto a stretcher.
David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, were identified as the two critically wounded rally attendees. Dutch, a former Marine Corps member and long-time Siemens employee, was described by his sister, Jennifer Veri-Grazier, as being “ecstatic” about attending the rally. He is currently hospitalized, being treated for liver damage and broken ribs.
Copenhaver, a registered Democrat, is married with at least one son. Albert Quaye, a supervisor in Moon Township, knew Copenhaver from local board of supervisor meetings, which Copenhaver began attending to voice concerns about a local development project. Both injured are receiving treatment at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Law enforcement officials reported that the victims were shot by the gunman, who fired from an elevated position outside the security perimeter. The suspected gunman, identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was killed by Secret Service agents.