A longtime plastics industry employee, killed while protecting his family by an assassin's bullet meant for former President Donald Trump, is being called a hero.
Corey Comperatore, 50, died while shielding his family from gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks as shots rang out during a July 13 Trump rally in Butler, Pa., north of Pittsburgh.
Comperatore, of Sarver, Pa., worked for JSP Corp. in Butler for 29 years, starting out as a shift supervisor in 1995 before becoming maintenance supervisor in 2001 and moving to project and tooling engineer in 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile. JSP makes a range of expanded polymers serving the automotive, construction, civil engineering and packaging markets.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, at a July 15 news conference, talked about Comperatore just hours after the shooting. His comments came not long after the governor spoke to his family.
"Corey was a girl dad. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community, and most especially, Corey loved his family," Shapiro said.
"Corey was an avid supporter of the former president and was so excited to be with him in the community," the governor said. "I asked Corey's wife if it would be OK for me to share that we spoke. She said yes. She also asked that I share with all of you that Corey died a hero, that Corey dove on his family to protect them last night at this rally. Corey was the very best of us. May his memory be a blessing."
JSP, for its part, issued a brief statement when contacted.
"JSP International can confirm that Corey Comperatore worked for JSP International for 29 years and three months. His last position was as a project manager. He was thought highly of by all who worked with him," reads an email from the company.
"Out of respect for the deceased and his family, we have no additional comments and do not wish to sensationalize this tragedy any more than it already is," the email states.
Comperatore, less than a week after his death, was mentioned by Trump July 18 during his Republic National Convention speech in Milwaukee, calling him “a highly respected former fire chief.”
Comperatore’s firefighter helmet and jacket were sent from Pennsylvania to Milwaukee and were displayed at the side of the stage during Trump’s speech. The former president, at one point, went over to the gear and kissed the helmet.
“Tragically, the shooter claimed the life of one of our fellow Americans, Corey Comperatore,” Trump said.
“He lost his life selflessly acting as a human shield to protect them [his family] from flying bullets. He was such a fine man,” the former president said before asking for a moment of silence in Comperatore’s honor.
Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pa., a Pittsburgh suburb, was killed by Secret Service agent fire after he wounded Trump in the ear, killed Comperatore and shot two others in the crowd who remain hospitalized. The shooter was on a rooftop about 150 yards from the stage where the former president was speaking. He had attracted the suspicion of some in the crowd who were trying to get the attention of authorities.
But Crooks was able to crawl across the roof and fire off rounds from an assault rifle before authorities then shot him to death. The shooter was a 2022 graduate of Bethel Park School District.
"[The assassination attempt] was shocking for this community, for this commonwealth and I know for this country," Shapiro said. "Political disagreements can never, ever be addressed through violence."
President Joe Biden, who is in a battle for reelection against Trump, acknowledged Comperatore during comments shortly after his death. "He was protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired and he lost his life. God love him," Biden said in nationally televised remarks.
Dr. Jim Sweetland is an emergency room doctor who rushed to Comperatore's side and administered CPR until state police arrived.
He described the scene of the crime to Fox News.
“[I] heard three shots — pop, pop, pop. Sounded like firecrackers to me. Sounded like a weapon to my wife. And we all turned to the back of the stage, toward the side where there are trees across the field. As I was doing so, there were four more pops — pop, pop, pop, pop — that were shot. I turned, and President Trump was already under a pyramid of humanity. The Secret Service was right on him right away," he said.
Sweetland then heard a cry from a woman in the bleachers below him indicating someone had been shot and he responded to Comperatore, who had been shot in the head.
A graduate of Freeport Area High School, north of Pittsburgh, in 1992, Mr. Comperatore spent 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and was a longtime member of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department. He served a stint as fire chief in the early 2000s, according to his obituary.
"His courage was not the loud and boisterous kind; it was the courage of quiet resilience, the strength to be vulnerable, and the bravery to lead with love. Corey's legacy is not just in the major milestones he achieved but in the small acts of kindness that marked his everyday life. He was quick to help those in need, never expecting anything in return, and his impact on the lives he touched was profound," the obituary states.
Shapiro acknowledged Comperatore's family will be forever affected. "They have some very challenging times ahead of them. They will have an empty seat at the dinner table for the rest of their lives," the governor said.