The victim ‘dove on his family to protect them last night at this rally,’ the governor said.
The man who was slain at a rally held by former President Donald Trump was identified by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Sunday as Corey Comperatore.
In a news conference, the governor said that Mr. Comperatore was shot as he “dove on his family to protect them last night at this rally,” Mr. Shapiro said during the press conference, citing what the victim’s wife told his office. The governor said that Mr. Comperatore “was the very best of us” and added that he hopes “his memory is a blessing.”
Later Sunday, the Pennsylvania State Police confirmed the identities of the injured victims as 74-year-old James Copenhaver, of Moon Township, and 77-year-old David Dutch, of New Kensington. They are currently in stable condition.
The former president and law enforcement officials said that a bullet pierced his ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. His campaign confirmed that he is fine.
The FBI special agent for Pittsburgh, Kevin P. Rojek, said Saturday that two other people were shot in what he describe as an assassination attempt targeting the 45th president. The shooting suspect was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who was killed by U.S. Secret Service agents.
“Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community, and most especially Corey loves his family. Corey was an avid supporter of the former president and was so excited to be there last night with him in the community,” the governor said.
Earlier in the day, a person who identified herself as the sister of Mr. Comperatore wrote on social media that the victim “was a hero that shielded his daughters,” adding that his family “just lived through the unthinkable and unimaginable.”
Also in Sunday’s news conference, Mr. Shapiro said that “political disagreements can never, ever be addressed through violence … we need to use a peaceful political process to settle those differences responsibly to speak and act with moral clarity.”
