15 july 2024 : The victim of the shooting at a campaign rally held for former US President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday was a 50-year-old ex-chief of the firefighters named Corey Comperatore, said Josh Shapiro, the Governor of Pennsylvania, on Sunday. He “died a hero”.
Comperatore, a Trump supporter, attended the rally in Butler with his wife and two daughters. When gunshots erupted, he heroically shielded his family, diving over them to protect them from the bullets. Governor Shapiro commended Comperatore’s bravery: “Corey died a hero.”
“Corey was a girl dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community. Most especially, Corey loved his family.”
Remembering the fallen victim, Corey Comperatore, who ‘died a hero’
Comperatore’s sister wrote on Facebook her brother“ was a hero that shielded his daughters.”
“Corey was the very best of us, may his memory be a blessing,” Shapiro added.
POTUS Joe Biden also extended his condolences to Comperatore’s family during a speech on Saturday afternoon. He recognized Comperatore’s sacrifice, saying, “He was a father. He was protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired. He lost his life. God loved him.”
Biden addressed the nation, condemning the violence saying, “There is no place in America for this kind of violence, or any violence. An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation, everything. It’s not who we are as a nation. It’s not America, and we cannot allow this to happen.”
Paul Hayden, a neighbor of Comperatore for about 20 years, spoke fondly of him despite their political differences. “He knew I was a Biden fan, I knew he’s a Trump fan,” Hayden told NBC News.
“But we never let that come in between us. We still said ‘hi’ to each other, we still talked to each other. Some people take it to the extreme.”
Governor Shapiro said, “Political disagreements can never, ever be addressed through violence.”
Who were the other two victims at the Trump rally?
Two other persons from Pennsylvania were also shot at the rally, per Gov. Shapiro. According to Pennsylvania State Police, the injured were identified as David Dutch, aged 57 years, and James Copenhaver, aged 74 years. Both of them are recovering well and are in a stable condition.
The shooting occurred approximately six minutes into Trump’s speech. Trump was seen clutching his ear after the gunshots and quickly ducked as Secret Service agents surrounded him. The former president later revealed that he was grazed by a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear.