Hero Trump supporter who died shielding family left behind powerful lesson for daughters
BETHEL PARK, Penn. – EXCLUSIVE: The volunteer firefighter who died shielding his family from a sniper’s bullets intended for former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania is being remembered as a selfless “girl dad” and churchgoing family man who put others before himself on a regular basis.
Corey Comperatore, 50, died Saturday night while shielding his wife and family from gunfire after a 20-year-old man snuck onto a roof and started shooting at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“It’s just so typical of him, the way it all happened, with protecting his wife and his daughter and just throwing himself on top of them when they hear the shooting,” said Eileen Shamanski, whose children grew up playing soccer alongside Comperatore’s daughters.
TRUMP RALLY VICTIM IDENTIFIED AS COREY COMPERATORE, ‘HERO’ SHIELDED WIFE AND GIRLS FROM BULLETS
“He was an all around good guy that was always there to lend a hand and support not just his own children but all the other kids who were friends of their girls and on the team,” she told Fox News Digital. “He had a just give it your all attitude, [and] a lot of kids respected him for that, just always being there supporting, giving those pep talks to get them going. It’s going to be a big loss.”
Their families have been close for years due to their girls’ common interest in travel soccer, she said. And although Comperatore worked long hours and volunteered to battle flames in his downtime, he never missed a game or a practice, she said.
“We didn’t think it was true at first, when my daughters called me crying,” she said. “Then we saw his wife and daughter on the news, when they were tending to him – it was just a sad thing to see, so sad, but I know he would’ve done it again in a heartbeat if it came down to it.”
“…he would’ve done it again in a heartbeat if it came down to it.”
PENNSYLVANIA TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING SUSPECT PICTURED AFTER DEADLY ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
“It makes a difference when you’re there in the stands to cheer them on,” she said. “The girls, you could see it in their faces, they just opened up with him, and he would travel for away tournaments. Him and his wife were always there, always being there to support them.”
Both daughters are in their 20s now, she said.
“He taught them to be strong, so I’m sure they’ll be there to help their mom work through this,” she said.
“He taught them to be strong, so I’m sure they’ll be there to help their mom work through this,…”
Secret Service agents shot and killed the suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, within moments of his first shot. But not before he killed Comperatore and wounded two more bystanders, according to authorities.
Trump himself said a bullet tore through part of his right ear and was pictured with blood on the side of his head as agents led him offstage. Before he got into his motorcade, he raised a fist, prompting cheers from the crowd.
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SHINES LIGHT ON RALLY SECURITY
“Corey died a hero,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told reporters on Saturday, after speaking with Comperatore’s wife Helen. “Corey dove on his family to protect them.”
In a post from one of his daughter’s Allyson, that was no longer public Sunday, she remembered him as “the best dad a girl could ask for.”
“He loved his family. He truly loved us enough to take a bullet for us.”
“The media will not tell you that he died a real-life super hero,” she continued. “They are not going to tell you how quickly he threw my mom and I to the ground. They are not going to tell you that he shielded my body from the bullet that came at us.”
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Comperatore was an engineer and a volunteer firefighter. He attended church every Sunday and by many accounts would help out anyone in a heartbeat.
The FBI has taken on the role of lead investigator into the shooting. Authorities said Sunday they had no known motive, Crooks had no criminal record or documented history of mental illness.
But authorities said they did found bomb-making materials in his vehicle, and that they were focused on retrieving data from his phone records.
“What we witnessed yesterday was nothing short of an attack on democracy and our democratic process,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told reporters on a conference call Sunday. “An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate can only be described as absolutely despicable and will not be tolerated in this country.”
The attack prompted widespread condemnation from leaders around the world, across political lines.
Social media platform reveals details of suspect’s account who tried to kill Trump
The 20-year-old Pennsylvania man identified as the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Trump on Saturday appeared to have an account on the Discord platform, the company said Sunday.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Discord spokesperson said an account that appears to be linked to Thomas Matthew Crooks was identified and removed in accordance with the company’s “off-platform behavior policy.”
“It was rarely utilized, has not been used in months, and we have found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss his political views,” the spokesperson said. “Discord strongly condemns violence of any kind, including political violence, and we will continue to coordinate closely with law enforcement.”
Investigators have not disclosed a potential motive for the shooting and have not disclosed if Crooks had any ties to extremist groups.
TRUMP SAYS HE WAS ‘SHOT WITH A BULLET’ IN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY
Crooks reportedly shot Trump from a rooftop perch some 130 yards away during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
Trump was shot in the upper right part of his ear while he was speaking to rally goers ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
One attendee was killed, and two others were injured during the incident, the FBI said, and Crooks was shot dead.
The man who died was identified as Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, Pennsylvania. The second victim was identified as 57-year-old David Dutch, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and the third victim was identified as 74-year-old James Copenhaver, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Both Dutch and Copenhaver were said to be in stable condition, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
LIVE UPDATES ON DEADLY SHOOTING AT TRUMP RALLY
Crooks was from Bethel Park, which is a Pittsburgh suburb about an hour south from where the assassination attempt took place.
Crooks was a registered Republican, according to voting records, but he only participated in the Nov. 8, 2022, state election, due to his age.
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Records show that he made a $15 donation to Progressive Turnout Project, a Chicago-based political action committee that supports Democrat candidates for public office and claims to advocate for “key Democratic constituencies: young people, minorities and low-income people.”
Expert dismantles ‘coward’ narrative, details moment cop confronted Trump’s shooter
A law enforcement expert joined “Fox News @ Night” on Sunday to detail what happened when an officer at former President Trump’s Pennsylvania rally allegedly confronted the gunman on a rooftop before the deadly shooting on Saturday.
Retired Las Vegas Police Lt. Randy Sutton says the officer was alerted to the gunman, now identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, and was attempting to confront him on the roof, but there was “no ladder” or access point.
The officer decided to reach Crooks by climbing onto the back of another officer, according to Sutton’s sources.
“As he was lifting himself up over the roof line, suddenly the suspect pointed his gun at him, the officer ducked down, and when he did, he fell off the back of the other officer,” Sutton said.
Sutton explained that this was not a situation where an officer committed a “cowardly act,” dismantling an earlier report that the officer possibly retreated when he confronted Crooks.
“This is an officer who made an observation, saw that he was about to be shot, and fell off the back of the other officer,” Sutton said.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report
CNN initially reported the Saturday assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump as if the former president had merely fallen off a stage – a characterization that swiftly earned condemnation from conservative lawmakers and those commenting on social media.
“Secret Service rushes Trump off stage after he falls at rally,” CNN’s headline read shortly after news broke that there was possible gunfire at a Pennsylvania Trump rally.
The headline angered conservative lawmakers, as well as others on social media, who described the headline as “conscious deception” and “disgraceful.”
“‘Falls at rally’? Is this a real headline? This is disgraceful,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., posted to X on Friday evening.
“Even in a horrifying moment such as this they just can’t help themselves,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., posted.
While addressing the crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening, Trump was seen abruptly grabbing his right ear before ducking and he hit the ground on stage. Secret Service personnel quickly surrounded Trump before he was escorted off the stage, with his right ear covered in blood.
Before he was ushered out, Trump appeared to yell “Fight!” while giving a fist pump to the crowd to indicate he was alright.
First lady Jill Biden spoke with former first lady Melania Trump over the phone on Sunday after the assassination attempt against former President Trump, according to NBC News.
The White House and Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
The details of Jill and Melania’s conversation have yet to be released. Biden also called Trump himself to express his condolences just hours after the attempt on Trump’s life Saturday.
Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Sunday evening, calling for unity and condemning the attack alongside members of his cabinet.
“My fellow Americans, I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics,” Biden said. “Do remember, while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We’re neighbors, we’re friends, coworkers, citizens, and most importantly, we are fellow Americans. We must stand together.”
The attempted assassination of Trump “calls on all of us to take a step back, take stock of where we are,” he added.
Biden said he was “grateful” that Trump is “doing well” and said he is keeping “him and his family in our prayers.” He also extended “our deepest condolences” to the family of Corey Comperatore, who was fatally shot as he shielded his wife and daughters from the bullets.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report
The politicians who are rumored to be in consideration to serve as former President Donald Trump’s running mate
in the 2024 election swiftly took to social media to show support for the presumptive GOP presidential nominee after an attempted assassination this weekend in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, who is considered a frontrunner to become the Republicans’ vice presidential nominee across three betting markets, blasted the rhetoric that had been emanating from the Biden campaign and its supporters.
“Today is not just some isolated incident,” Vance posted on X. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also offered his support for the president on Saturday.
“We all know President Trump is stronger than his enemies. Today he showed it,” Burgum wrote on X.
One of Trump’s most stubborn challengers for the 2024 Republican nomination, former U.N. ambassador and ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, also took to social media. It emerged on Sunday that Haley will speak at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday – even though as recently as last week she wasn’t planning to attend the event, which kicks off Monday in Milwaukee.
Haley wrote on X: “This should horrify every freedom loving American.”
“Violence against presidential candidates must never be normalized,” she wrote. “We are lifting up Donald Trump, the entire Trump family, and all in attendance in prayer.”
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/potential-trump-vp-picks-react-attempted-assassination-stronger-than-his-enemies
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Jamie Joseph
Amid a sea of inflammatory political rhetoric this election season, President Biden and White House Cabinet members unequivocally condemned
political violence after the attempted assassination of former President Trump over the weekend, with many also expressing sympathy for Trump and condolences to the family of a spectator killed during the attack.
Vice President Harris wrote on X that “assassination attempts have no place in our nation,” adding that she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were praying for the family of the deceased victim, identified as a former fire chief, Corey Comperatore.
“As @POTUS said, we must work toward unity as Americans. Assassination attempts have no place in our nation, or anywhere. Doug and I pray for the family of the victim who was senselessly killed yesterday and hope for a speedy recovery for those injured.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas also condemned “political violence in America.”
“I’m shocked and saddened by the shooting at former President Trump’s rally and grateful that he is safe. As @POTUS said, there is no place for political violence in America and we must all condemn it,” Blinken posted to X on Saturday night.
“This is not the way that we resolve our differences in America — and it must never be. I’m relieved that reports indicate former President Trump is safe, and I am praying for him and his family and everyone affected by this appalling incident,” he said.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Jamie Joseph
Former President Trump said he is “supposed to be dead” after surviving an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the weekend.
Trump described the incident to the New York Post as a “very surreal experience” that nearly killed him as he prepares for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“The doctor at the hospital said he never saw anything like this, he called it a miracle,” Trump told the outlet.
“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” the former president added. “I’m supposed to be dead.”
He also addressed confusion about his shoes, as the video of the incident showed agents attempting to rush him off the stage to safety while he says, “Wait, I want to get my shoes.”
“The agents hit me so hard that my shoes fell off, and my shoes are tight,” Trump said.
The former president also praised the Secret Service for their swift action and for killing the shooter.
“They took him out with one shot right between the eyes,” he said. “They did a fantastic job. It’s surreal for all of us.
“He spoke about the photo of him raising his fist and shouting “Fight” three times as the agents attempted to drag him off stage to safety.
“A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen,” Trump told the NYP. “They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually, you have to die to have an iconic picture.”
Trump is scheduled to speak at the RNC on Thursday evening.
Trump’s potential running mate reveals what he believes incited assassination attempt
The politicians who are rumored to be in consideration to serve as former President Trump’s running mate in the 2024 election swiftly took to social media to show support for the presumptive GOP presidential nominee after an attempted assassination this weekend in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, who is considered a frontrunner to become the Republicans’ vice presidential nominee across three betting markets, blasted the rhetoric that had been emanating from the Biden campaign and its supporters.
“Today is not just some isolated incident,” Vance posted on X. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”
WHO WAS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS? EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S ATTEMPTED ASSASSIN
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also offered his support for the president on Saturday.
“We all know President Trump is stronger than his enemies. Today he showed it,” Burgum wrote on X.
One of Trump’s most stubborn challengers for the 2024 Republican nomination, former U.N. ambassador and ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, also took to social media. It emerged on Sunday that Haley will speak at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday – even though as recently as last week she was not planning to attend the event, which kicks off Monday in Milwaukee.
Haley wrote on X, “This should horrify every freedom loving American.”
“Violence against presidential candidates must never be normalized,” she wrote. “We are lifting up Donald Trump, the entire Trump family, and all in attendance in prayer.”
HALEY URGES HER DELEGATES TO VOTE FOR TRUMP AT THE GOP CONVENTION
Haley announced in late May that she would vote for Trump.
Haley won a total of 97 delegates during the Republican presidential primaries and last week released all of her delegates and urged them to support Trump.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who has also been floated as a potential running mate, tweeted a picture of a bloodied Trump giving a fist-pump to the crowd on Saturday.
“God protected President Trump,” Rubio wrote.
Trump is scheduled to speak at the RNC on Thursday evening.
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Dem refuses to sugarcoat message to lawmakers on ‘dangerous lies,’ offers solution
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, penned a lengthy thread on X about the hyperbole in American politics, urging politicians to stop framing their opponents as “fascists.”
The vulnerable Democrat congressman took to X to denounce the current path that he says the country is on, adding that leaders need to guide America down a different one.
“We can start by dropping hyperbolic threats about the stakes of this election,” he wrote. “It should not be misleadingly portrayed as a struggle between democracy or authoritarianism or a battle against fascists or socialists bent on destroying America. These are dangerous lies.”
SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AND SECURITY FAILURE
Former President Trump was the target of an assassination attempt at his Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday. Shots were fired around 6 p.m., just minutes after Trump took the stage. Blood could be seen on Trump’s right ear and face as Secret Service agents escorted him from the stage.
Trump was treated for a wound on his ear at a local hospital before returning to his residence in New Jersey. Both the gunman and a rallygoer were killed. Others are injured and receiving care in the hospital.
RNC’S SECRET SERVICE CLASH THRUST BACK INTO SPOTLIGHT AFTER DEADLY TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING
Lawmakers quickly issued statements praying for Trump’s safety and that of attendees.
“Following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, we must ask ourselves questions about the future of our country and what we want for ourselves and our children,” Golden wrote on X in a 10-part thread.
GOP PRAYS FOR TRUMP AFTER SHOTS FIRED, FORMER PRESIDENT RUSHED OFF STAGE
“In the pursuit of short-term political gain, they are eager to exaggerate our differences and cast their political opponents as diabolical caricatures bent on destroying the country,” he said in reference to those leading the country.
Per the lawmaker, “The result is an overwhelming sense of fear & anxiety about the future of our country, where the normal and tested tools of democracy no longer seem adequate to protect the common good. In this light, a rise of politically motivated violence in America is sadly unsurprising.”
TRUMP JR SAYS FATHER ‘IN GREAT SPIRITS’ AT HOSPITAL AFTER SHOTS FIRED DURING PA RALLY
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According to the Maine Democrat, it would be “disastrous” to continue this way. Instead, the hyperbole must be stopped, he said, condemning the framing of political opponents as fascists, authoritarians and socialists.
The Democrat is fighting for re-election in a very competitive Maine district in the November election. Nonpartisan political handicapper Cook Political Report rated his seat as a “Democrat Toss Up.”
Lawmaker addresses staffer’s viral post about Trump assassination attempt
A staff member of Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson is “no longer” in the congressman’s employment after allegedly posting “don’t miss next time,” after the apparent assassination attempt on former President Trump on Saturday evening.
“I was made aware of a post made by a staff member and she is no longer in my employment,” Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson said in a statement.
The post, which has since been deleted, was allegedly posted by Thompson’s now-former field director Jacqueline Marsaw. The post read, “I don’t condone violence but please get you some shooting lessons so you don’t miss next time ooops that wasn’t me talking.”
Trump had just begun speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening when a gunman on a nearby roof outside the venue fired multiple shots toward the stage.
LIVE UPDATES: FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, FBI IDs SHOOTER AS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS
Trump was seen hitting the deck as Secret Service agents rushed the stage to surround the former president. Moments later, a bloodied Trump stood up and pumped his fist before the agents escorted him off the stage.
At least one rally attendee was killed, and two spectators were critically injured, authorities said. The man killed was identified as 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore.
EMOTIONAL GRAHAM DELIVERS MESSAGE OF ‘LOVE’ FOR TRUMP, SAYS US NEEDS ‘SOUL-SEARCHING’
There were multiple calls for Thompson to fire the staffer following the social media post.
Marsaw joined Thompson’s staff in July 2023. She is a native of Natchez, Mississippi, and an alumna of Jackson State University. She served as secretary, vice president and president of her local NAACP and as the former field director for the National Action Network.
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Thompson is the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. He previously served as the committee’s chair from 2019 to 2023 and from 2007 to 2011. As Trump was on trial in New York City, he introduced legislation to block Secret Service protection for anyone sentenced to prison.
Billionaire publicly endorses Trump following assassination attempt
Billionaire Bill Ackman “formally” endorsed President Trump after his attempted assassination in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
More than 19 million people have viewed Ackman’s endorsement post since it went out late Saturday night.
“I came to this decision some time ago as many @X followers have already understood from my supportive posts of Trump and my criticisms of @POTUS Biden,” Ackman said. “The reason why I have not yet formally done so is that I want to explain my thinking in detail and address the arguments put forth by others against Trump.”
Ackman, the CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, said it would take a “long-form post” to explain his thinking. He said he did not have the time “nor felt the urgency” to write the post prior to the shooting that took place at a Trump rally that injured the upper part of Trump’s ear, left one rally attendee dead and two spectators critically injured.
FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP SURVIVES ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, FBI IDS SHOOTER AS THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS
Ackman believes the upcoming presidential election is one of the “most consequential” in his lifetime, and says he has spent a few hours recently with Trump. He asked voters to “keep an open mind.” He said a more detailed post explaining his position will come in the future.
In January, Ackman said President Biden was not fit to serve, and called on him to step aside during an interview on CNBC’s “Squawkbox.”
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION SECURITY TIGHTENS FOLLOWING TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
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Billionaire Elon Musk also announced that he “fully supports” Trump shortly after the shots rang out in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“All of us have an obligation to stand up and be counted,” Ackman said in a subsequent X post on Sunday.