Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Sunday that the man killed at a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday has been identified as 50-year-old former firefighter Corey Comperatore. Comperatore was in attendance with his wife and two daughters, and dove over them to protect them when gunshots were heard in the crowd.
Shapiro said Comperatore “died a hero” while protecting his family from the gunfire during the rally. The governor said that “Corey was an avid supporter of the former president and was so excited to be there last night with him in the community,” and described Comperatore as a “girl dad” who went to church every Sunday and loved his family and community. Said Shapiro: “Corey was the very best of us, may his memory be a blessing.”
About six minutes into Trump’s speech at a campaign rally on Saturday, gunshots were heard and the former president could be seen clutching his ear as he ducked to the ground while several Secret Service agents rushed to the stage and surrounded him on all sides. The FBI said the shooter has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who was immediately killed by the Secret Service. A motive is not known at this time.
Two people were also critically wounded in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Shapiro said: “last night was shocking for this community and for this commonwealth, and I know, for this country. Political disagreements can never, ever be addressed through violence. Disagreements are OK, but we need to use a peaceful political process to settle those differences.”
President Joe Biden extended his condolences to Comperatore’s family in a speech Saturday afternoon: “He was a father. He was protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired. He lost his life. God loved him.” In his speech Saturday shortly after the incident, Biden said, “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.”
Trump also shared his condolences for the victims and their families in a post on TruthSocial, writing on Sunday: “I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
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