(The Center Square) – Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old man from Buffalo Township, Pa., died after a gunman opened fire during a rally for former President Donald Trump on Saturday evening.
The former volunteer fire chief and father of two dove on his family to protect them from the bullets, according to Gov. Josh Shapiro. The governor said he spoke with Comperatore’s wife before a news conference in Butler County on Sunday.
Shapiro described Comperatore as a “girl dad” who attended church every Sunday and loved his community and family. He was also an avid Trump supporter and “was so excited to be there with him last night.”
“Corey was the very best of us,” Shapiro said. “May his memory be a blessing.”
The governor declined to answer questions about the ongoing investigation into the 20-year-old man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump as the former president spoke to a crowd gathered at the Butler Farm Show Grounds, north of Pittsburgh, on Saturday evening.
The suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired several shots, grazing the former president’s ear. Two additional victims sustained critical injuries.
“Last night was shocking for this community, for this commonwealth and I know for this country,” Shapiro said. “Political disagreements can never ever be addressed through violence. Disagreements are okay, but we need to use a peaceful political process to settle those differences.”
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump credited “God alone” for preventing “the unthinkable from happening.” He also expressed support for Comperatore and the two other victims wounded during the assassination attempt.
“Our love goes out to the other victims and their families,” Trump wrote. “We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed.”
The attack occurred just two days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where GOP delegates will formally designate Trump as their presidential candidate to take on President Joe Biden in November. The Trump campaign said Saturday that the former president still plans to attend.
Dan McCaleb and Cole Lauterbach contributed to this report.
