Man killed at Trump rally hailed by friends and family

Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief shot and killed at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, spent his final moments shielding his family from gunfire during the attempted assassination of the former president.

According to those who knew him, that was exactly the kind of person Comperatore was: someone who lived and died helping others.

“He’s a real hero. He pushed his family out of his way and got himself killed for them,” said Mike Morehouse, a neighbor who lived next door to Comperatore for eight years. “He’s a hero that I was happy to have as a neighbor.”

Comperatore, 50, was a proud Trump supporter. His quick thinking, as he placed his body between his wife and daughter and the bullets that were trying to reach the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee, resonates with those who knew him.

“In his final moments, he was protecting his family from gunfire,” said Craig Cirrincione, a lieutenant with the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, where Comperatore previously served as fire chief. “Even if it was just another civilian next to him, he would have done the same thing. He was a man who just wanted to protect, serve and love. He was truly a man of love.”

Firefighters placed black banners outside the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company to honor Comperatore.

“Corey was a lifelong volunteer firefighter with our company and will be greatly missed by all who knew him,” the fire department wrote in a Facebook post. “Corey, rest easy my brother and we will take over. Please pray and send good thoughts to Corey’s family and all who knew him.”

In the front yard of the family home in Pennsylvania, a memorial of flowers and an American flag was erected.

Comperatore was known as a father of two daughters, a husband and a practicing member of the community.

“Corey was the father of a daughter,” said Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who ordered flags flown at half-staff in his memory. “Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community. Most of all, Corey loved his family.”

“This is the last thing this man deserved,” Cirrincione said.

Deputy Chief Ricky Heasley, who knew Comperatore for more than a decade, remembered him as someone who “never had a bad word to say.”

President Joe Biden and Trump both honored Comperatore and expressed condolences to his loved ones.

“He was a father,” Biden said. “He was protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired when he lost his life. God bless him.”

A GoFundMe collection for his family received nearly $1 million in donations as of Monday afternoon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.