Former fire chief identified as bystander killed in shooting at Trump rally

The spectator killed at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania has been identified by his family members as 50-year-old Corey Comperatore.

“Yesterday time stood still,” his daughter, Allyson Comperatore, wrote in a now-deleted social media post. She called him a “real-life superhero” and said he “quickly threw her and her mother to the ground” and “shielded my body from the bullet coming our way.”

She wrote: “He loved his family. He truly loved us enough to take a real bullet for us. We lost a selfless, loving husband, father, brother, uncle, son and friend. And I will never stop thinking about him and grieving for him until the day I die too. July 13th will forever be a day that changed my life. I will never be the same person I was less than 24 hours ago.”

Authorities announced Saturday night that a spectator had died. Mr. Comperatore is survived by his wife and two daughters, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Sunday afternoon.

He loved his community and his family, the governor said. “Corey was an avid supporter of the former president. He was so excited to be with the community last night. Corey died a hero. Corey showed up last night to protect his family. Corey was the best of us.”

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“The PA Trump Rally cost the life of my brother, Corey Comperatore,” Dawn Comperatore Schafer wrote on Facebook Sunday morning.

She shared that her younger brother had just turned 50 and posted a photo of him and her family holding up 5-and-0 balloons.

“The hatred for one man cost the life of the man we love the most. He was a hero who protected his daughters. His wife and daughters have faced the unthinkable and unimaginable,” she said. “Hate knows no bounds and love knows no bounds. Please pray for my sister-in-law, nieces, my mother, sister, me and his nieces and nephews because this feels like a horrible nightmare but we know it is our painful reality.”

Two other bystanders were also injured in the shooting. Their identities are still unknown.

Mr. Comperatore was a fire chief but had recently retired, WPXI reported. He was a project and tool engineer at the JSP company and lived in Sarver, Pennsylvania, according to his social media profiles.

The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by authorities. He reportedly used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in the attack.

The former president said he was “fine” and thanked God for preventing the “unthinkable.”

About 15 minutes into Trump’s rally, multiple shots rang out through the room, causing the candidate to retreat behind his podium.

Secret Service agents rushed to the podium and helped Trump to his feet. The former president defiantly raised his fist in the air, leaving a trail of blood on his face, before being led off the stage.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Mr. Comperatore’s daughter, Allyson, and had raised more than $70,000 as of Sunday afternoon.

Words of praise for the shooting victim circulated on social media.

“I am speechless today,” one user wrote in a Facebook post. “The loss of a brother is so heartbreaking and I can only imagine how the rest of the family is feeling.

“From skipping school to go hunting or fishing to crabbing for change for gas, the memories are endless. Corey Comperatore was an amazing man who loved his family dearly and did the same for God. A true heart of gold and he caught small fish too!! Godspeed bro! We’ll see each other again soon.”

Another wrote: “He is a true warrior. A great father. One of the best manicured lawns in the Sarver Valley. RIP.”