Man killed at Trump rally ‘dove on his family to protect them,’ identified as firefighter Corey Comperatore

Zoe Sottile and Kit Maher, CNN

BUTLER, Pennsylvania (CNN) — Firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed during the attempted assassination of erstwhile President Donald Trump, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Sunday.

Comperatore was 1 of nan thousands of group who attended nan rally successful Butler, Pennsylvania, portion of Trump’s 2024 reelection effort. He died trying to protect his family, according to nan governor.

Authorities have identified nan gunman in Saturday’s attack as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by Secret Service agents astatine nan segment aft nan shooting. The FBI is investigating nan onslaught arsenic an assassination attempt, nan agency said.

“I conscionable said to Corey’s woman and Corey’s 2 daughters,” Shapiro said Sunday.

“Corey was a woman dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to religion each Sunday. Corey loved his community. Most especially, Corey loved his family.”

“Corey was an avid protagonist of nan erstwhile president and was truthful excited to beryllium location past nighttime pinch him successful nan community,” nan politician said.

“I asked Corey’s woman if it would beryllium okay for maine to stock that we spoke. She said ‘yes.’ She besides asked that I stock pinch each of you that Corey died a hero,” Shapiro added.

“Corey dove connected his family to protect them past nighttime astatine this rally.”

Shapiro said he has directed flags beryllium flown astatine half-staff successful Comperatore’s memory.

One personification was killed and 2 critically injured successful nan incident, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The erstwhile president was changeable successful his correct ear, he said on societal media, leaving his look covered successful blood.

Speaking Sunday afternoon, President Joe Biden expressed his condolences to nan Comperatore’s family.

“We besides widen our deepest condolences to nan family of nan unfortunate who was killed,” nan president said. “He was a father, he was protecting his family from nan bullets being fired erstwhile he mislaid his life. God emotion him. We are besides praying for nan afloat betterment of those who were injured.”

Shots fired, past ‘a bloody scene’

Witnesses person described a activity of chaos and panic that unfolded aft nan shooter, perched connected a rooftop conscionable extracurricular nan venue, fired respective shots from an AR-style weapon.

As shots rang retired and nan erstwhile president ducked beneath nan podium, swarmed by Secret Service agents, attendees screamed and crouched toward nan ground, video from nan segment shows.

GOP Congressman Dan Meuser told CNN he was sitting successful nan beforehand statement of nan rally pinch Pennsylvania Senate campaigner Dave McCormick and Republican Rep. Mike Kelly. He saw a man fatally changeable “no much than 20 feet behind” them, he said.

Joseph Meyn, a surgeon from Grove City, Pennsylvania, told CNN that he helped transportation a man’s assemblage retired of nan stadium.

“Everybody started, certainly, screaming, asking for a medic, and honestly, it was a bloody scene,” Meuser said.

He was to nan acold correct of nan podium, filming Trump’s speech, erstwhile he heard nan gunshots.

“Just arsenic I was panning back, I heard 7 gunshots successful accelerated succession, successful nether 2 aliases 3 seconds. I americium acquainted pinch guns, I knew instantly it was gunfire,” Meyn told CNN. “I saw him get hit.”

Meyn said he looked backmost successful nan guidance nan gunshots had travel from. “I saw a man successful nan bleachers was deed straight successful nan caput … location was a female who was deed successful nan manus and forearm, a noncritical wound.”

He said he went complete to spot if he could render immoderate aid, but different expert was already tending to nan female who’d been shot.

“I helped transportation nan assemblage of nan man retired of nan stands,” he said. “They took nan assemblage to nan shelter down nan bleachers.”

Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas said that his nephew was besides injured successful nan shooting.

In an question and reply pinch Fox News, Jackson said his nephew “was grazed successful nan neck, a slug crossed his neck, trim his cervix and he was bleeding.”

The congressman called it a “horrific, horrific experience.”

Another attendee who witnessed nan shooting described an ambiance of “complete shock.”

“It was excessively adjacent for comfort,” Donna Hutz told CNN. She and her boy were conscionable a fewer rows successful beforehand of nan attendees who were shot. She looked up and saw nan injured attendees pinch tons of humor covering nan bleachers, she said.

The shooting created shockwaves astir nan world, pinch world leaders including Biden, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and nan Vatican condemning nan onslaught and governmental unit much broadly.

Authorities are still investigating some nan shooter’s imaginable motives and really he was capable to entree nan area pinch a weapon.

“It is surprising, but each nan specifications of that will travel retired successful nan investigation,” FBI Special Agent successful Charge Kevin Rojek said successful a news convention erstwhile asked really nan shooter was capable to occurrence respective shots.

This communicative has been updated pinch further information.

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Security unit inspect nan segment successful Butler, Pennsylvania, connected July 13. | Brendan McDermid, Reuters via CNN Newsource