Ex-fire chief died a ‘heroic death’ protecting his family at Donald Trump rally in Butler
The former chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company died Saturday, July 13, while trying to protect his family after a would-be assassin opened fire at a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at the Butler Farm Show grounds in Connoquenessing Township.
Corey Comperatore, 50, was publicly identified Sunday in a news release from state police. He also was identified by family members on social media and by Gov. Josh Shapiro during a Sunday news conference in front of the Butler Township municipal building.
Shapiro said Comperatore died a “heroic death” by diving on top of his family to protect them as shots were fired. The governor was relaying the information during a briefing from the FBI, which has taken the lead in investigating the attempted assassination of Trump.
In addition to being a volunteer firefighter, Comperatore was married and a father of two.
“Corey was a ‘girl dad.’ Corey was a firefighter,” Shapiro said. “Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community. Most especially, Corey loved his family.”
Shapiro, who said Comperatore was an avid Trump supporter, ordered flags across the state be flown at half-staff in his honor.
The FBI identified the shooter who nicked Trump’s right ear during the rally.
State police Sunday also publicly identified two people wounded in the shooting who initially were reported to be in “critical condition.”
The FBI said the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who lived roughly an hour south of Butler in Bethel Park, Allegheny County. As of Sunday afternoon, the FBI, which has assumed the lead in investigating the shooting, said it believes Crooks acted alone. A motive has not been identified.
The victims were David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township. According to state police, the two have been upgraded to “stable” condition
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee had been speaking for only six minutes when bullets rained down from the roof of the nearby AGR International building on Whitestown Road.
One pierced Trump’s right ear before he was whisked off the stage by Secret Service members, pumping his fist defiantly. By the time the dust settled, one spectator was killed and two were wounded. The shooter also was killed.
“The event that unfolded yesterday was devastating for everyone and our focus right now is on supporting our emergency management in its efforts to provide needed resources to those impacted and to the ongoing investigation,” said Butler County Commissioners Kimberly Geyer and Leslie Osche in a joint statement. “Above all, we are praying for and offering our support to the family who lost a loved one and those who were injured.”
Bomb-making materials were found inside Crooks' vehicle near the rally and at his home, according to two officials who were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
In addition to an attempted assassination, the FBI also is investigating the incident as a possible act of domestic terrorism. Bureau representatives said all available resources have been deployed to the Pittsburgh region, that they have received “over 2,600 tips” to their tipline, and that they will aggressively pursue upcoming threats to both the upcoming Republican and Democratic conventions.
Crooks graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022, the school district said in a statement to KDKA-TV. The school district said it will cooperate fully with investigators. In 2022, Crooks was among several students given an award for math and science, according to a Tribune-Review story at the time.
Crooks' political leanings were not immediately clear. Records show Crooks was registered as a Republican voter in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on Jan. 20, 2021, the day President Joe Biden was sworn in to office, according to AP.
Sources tell the Associated Press a local law enforcement officer encountered Crooks moments before he fired at Trump. The officials spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. They say not long before shots rang out, rallygoers noticed a man climbing to the top of a roof of a nearby offsite building and warned local police. When an officer climbed to the roof, Crooks pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder.
Also stymied by the shooting was a planned mention of Marc Fogel, the Butler native who is being held in a Russian prison camp.
Fogel’s mother, Malphine Fogel, 95, met with Trump before the rally Saturday, and, according to a Facebook page dedicated to Marc Fogel’s plight, was to join Trump on stage to make a statement to the national audience pleading for her son’s freedom.
According to the post, Malphine Fogel was sitting at ground level for the rally and was waiting to be called on stage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
