The spectator who tragically died in the shooting targeting Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally has been identified as Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter and father of two.
“We lost a fellow Pennsylvanian last night, Corey Comperatore,” Governor Josh Shapiro told reporters. “I just spoke to his wife and his two daughters.”
Shapiro described the victim as a dedicated churchgoer, firefighter, and enthusiastic Trump supporter who “loved his community and most especially his family.”
The governor called Saturday’s shooting, which left two other spectators wounded, “shocking, for this Commonwealth and the country.”
While the other victims have yet to be identified, NPR affiliate WESA reported that both were local men who remain in critical condition, according to hospital officials in Pittsburgh.
The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from nearby Bethel Park, was killed by a Secret Service sniper.
In a Facebook post, Comperatore’s daughter Allyson described her father as “the best dad a girl could ever ask for,” someone always ready to help and quick to “make friends with anyone.”
“The media will not tell you that he died a real-life superhero,” she said. “He threw my mom and me to the ground and shielded my body from the bullet that came at us.”
Governor Shapiro also called Comperatore “a hero” who died protecting his family and announced that state flags would be flown at half-staff to honor him.
“Corey was an avid supporter of the former president,” Shapiro added, “and was so excited to be there last night.”
A GoFundMe page created to support the Comperatore family had raised nearly $330,000 by 3:00 PM.
