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Donald Trump called the widow of the former fire chief who was fatally shot at the GOP nominee’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old father-of-two, was killed at Saturday’s rally while protecting his family amid the assassination attempt against Trump. Days later, the former president spoke to Helen Comperatore over the phone, according to a screenshot of a Facebook post.
“President Trump called me to share his condolences. He was very kind and said he would continue to call me in the days and weeks ahead,” she wrote. “I told him the same thing I told everyone else. [Corey] left this world a hero and God welcomed in. He did not die in vain that day.”
The grieving widow told theNew York Post that she didn’t speak to President Biden when he sought to make contact with her: “I didn’t want to talk to him. My husband was a devout Republican and he would not have wanted me to talk to him.”
The day after the shooting, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro discussed the retired fire chief, calling him a “hero” and describing him as “an avid supporter of the former president.” The governor added: He was so excited to be there last night with the community.”
In the wake of the tragedy, the victim’s daughter, Allyson Comperatore called her father to a “real-life superhero” in a touching social media post. She said he “quickly threw” her and her mother to the ground and “shielded my body from the bullet that came at us.”
She wrote: “He loved his family. He truly loved us enough to take a real bullet for us. We lost a selfless, loving husband, father, brother, uncle, son, and friend. And I will never stop thinking about him and mourning over him until the day that I die too.”
A GoFundMe page for the Comperatore family. It has raised nearly $1.2m since Saturday’s attack.
A “Trump authorized” fundraiser was also launched in the aftermath, aiming to support the families of those wounded or killed at the deadly rally. It has raised more than $5m and has garnered contributions from a number of famous figures, including Elon Musk, Kid Rock, actor Catherine Oxenberg, and failed GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
After multiple shots rang out at the western Pennsylvania venue, Trump dropped behind a podium as Secret Service agents cleared the area. They then helped him to his feet, allowing him to pump his fist in the air defiantly, before whisking him offstage to safety.
The former president later revealed he had suffered a strike to the ear — and has shown up to the Republican National Convention wearing a bandage over his wound.
The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by authorities on the scene. He reportedly used an AR-15-type semi-automatic rifle in the attack.
