HERO'S JUSTICE
Family of firefighter killed in Trump rally shooting makes solemn vow as they hire lawyer over botched security effort
Corey's daughters detailed the horrifying moment their hero dad took a bullet for them
THE FAMILY of the firefighter who died while saving his family from shots at the Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania has made a vow for answers.
Corey Comperatore, 50, attended the rally with his wife Helen, and two daughters Allyson, 27, and Kaylee, 24.
6
6
6
The fire chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company was shot dead by Thomas Matthew Crooks on July 13.
Two other attendees were injured at the rally and Trump was grazed by a bullet which left a wound on his ear.
"He definitely was a hero," Comperatore's widow, Helen said of her husband after his death.
"He saved his wife, he saved his child and he was just the best guy. He was just the best."
Now, Comperatore's wife and daughters have spoken out about their "great father and great husband" and their hopes for justice as his widow admitted she talks to him despite knowing it won't bring him back.
"I talk to him anyway, and the only thing that ever comes out of my mouth is, 'I'm sorry that this happened to you,'" Helen told ABC News affiliate .
"But I know he would want me to get to the bottom of this. I know he would."
SECURITY FAILINGS
Helen and her daughters are desperate for answers about the security failings at the rally and have hired a lawyer to help them.
Most read in The US Sun
"I want justice for my husband, and I'm going to get it," she said.
Doctor who gave CPR to Trump rally victim says he’ll never forget family’s faces & last-second call saved his own life
Cops and the Secret Service came under fire after the shooting when footage, photographs, and text messages emerged showing numerous warnings about Crooks.
A 10-minute clip that was revealed showed officers being aware of Crooks being on the roof just moments before he fired shots toward the stage.
Meanwhile, messages between three Secret Service countersnipers were found showing them discussing Crooks' suspicious behavior before the shooting.
These were just some of a series of clips that demonstrated failings by cops and the Secret Service which eventually saw Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resign.
"I just want them to know that I really think my dad's blood is on their hands, and I hope they wake up every day thinking about what they took from our family," Comperatore's daughter Kaylee said.
"Because we have to wake up every day and see that image of our father in our head, and no child should ever have to see that."
HORROR DETAILS
During the interview, Corey's daughters detailed the horrifying moment their dad was killed.
When Crooks fired his first shots, Corey shouted at his family to get down and he was hit by a bullet as he pushed his daughter Allyson to the ground.
"As he was throwing me down, that was when he was shot and he ended up falling onto me," Allyson said.
"I don't remember hearing any other shots. I don't remember feeling any other shots. In that moment, I was trying to take care of him.
Donald Trump Butler Rally Shooting Latest
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was grazed by a bullet while speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.
Donald Trump was not critically injured and is expected to make a full recovery. He has since made his first public appearance after the shooting.
- July 13: Trump was grazed by a bullet from an AR-15-style rifle 430 feet away from where he was delivering remarks to supporters in Butler.
- Trump shared that the bullet tore a piece of his right ear.
- The shooting left rally-goer Corey Comperatore dead and two others injured.
- The FBI identified the would-be assassin as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
- Crooks was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
- July 14: President Joe Biden urged for a cooldown in politics following the attempt on his predecessor's life.
- Biden launched an independent review into the rally's shooting and to assess what went wrong.
- July 15: GOP delegates gather at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to formally name Donald Trump as the party's presidential nominee.
- In a Truth Social post, Trump announced Ohio senator JD Vance as his vice president pick.
- Trump makes his first public appearance since the attempt on his life during the Republican National Convention.
- The Republican presidential candidate, 78, walks into the Fiserv Forum visibly emotional with a white bandage on his right ear.
"I was really confused when he was on me. I had turned around, and I went, 'Dad,' and when I turned is whenever he fell down, and that's when I started screaming and instantly I was trying to keep him from bleeding."
Kaylee detailed how she was screaming and telling her dad in her head to ";wake up" as she described the moment as "like a dream."
"And then you realize it's not a dream, and you feel like your whole world is just over," she said.
Helen who was married to the firefighter for 29 years had dated him in high school and called him a "wonderful man" as she urged people not to just think of him as a victim of the rally.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"Just try to remember Corey as... he was a great man that was a great father. He was a great husband," she said.
After millions of dollars were raised for the family on a GoFundMe page, they have decided to use it to start a foundation.
10 Days that Changed America
AN attempted assassination of a former US president, the standing down of a current president, and a political speech by a former wrestler. Senior News reporter Anthony Blair looks back on a crazy 10 days in American politics.
- Saturday, July 13 - Donald Trump is shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The Republican frontrunner is hit in the ear but stands up and pumps his fist to the crowd. Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, is shot dead but the Secret Service is slammed for suspected security blunders. Ex-fire chief Corey Comperatore is killed protecting his family.
- Sunday, July 14 - President Joe Biden calls on Americans to unite and "cool down" political rhetoric in the wake of Trump's shooting. The Democrat had faced growing calls since his disastrous performance in June's CNN debate. Shocking video reveals how close Trump came to being killed after turning his head at the last minute.
- Monday, July 15 - The Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Trump is formally nominated as the Republican candidate. An emotional-looking Trump makes his first appearance since surviving the shooting wearing a large ear bandage. It quickly becomes a must-have fashion item at the RNC. Ohio Senator JD Vance is named as Trump's running mate. Previously anti-Trump, Vance at just 39 is an inexperienced choice, but seen as having a connection with ordinary Americans. In an interview, Biden admits it was a "mistake" to talk about putting Trump in "the bullseye" days before the assassination attempt.
- Tuesday, July 16 - The FBI warns of more potential violence in the wake of Trump's shooting. Intelligence claims Iran had a separate plot to assassinate Trump, but there is no proven link to Crooks. Biden returns to the campaign trail for the first time since the assassination attempt and insists he isn't stepping down.
- Wednesday, July 17 - Joe Biden tests positive for Covid, just days after saying he would drop out of the presidential race if he was diagnosed with a medical condition. It intensifies the calls for him to step aside with Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom floated as potential replacements. At the RNC, JD Vance makes his first speech since being selected as Trump's VP pick, to the delight of the MAGA crowd.
- Thursday, July 18 - Donald Trump addresses the RNC, his first speech since surviving an attempted assassination. He appears slower and more subdued than usual but gives the longest convention acceptance speech in US history. Just before he goes on, former wrestler Hulk Hogan rips his shirt off and tells cheering crowds "Trumpomania" will sweep America. Former First Lady Melania, who has barely been seen on the campaign trail, makes an appearance but does not speak. Barack Obama joins calls for Biden to step aside.
- Friday, July 19 - President Biden appears to consider resigning, as a source says he is in a "contemplative stage" while isolating with Covid. Video emerges showing Biden appearing to lean into the wrong woman after mistaking her for his wife Jill. Meanwhile, the world's biggest tech outage sparks travel chaos for Republicans leaving the RNC in Milwaukee.
- Saturday, July 20 - Donald Trump holds his first campaign rally since the shooting in Butler. He appears in Michigan without his ear bandage. His former doctor Ronny Jackson describes his injuries. He appears in his first interview alongside his running mate Vance. Senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi speaks for the first time since being linked to growing calls for Biden to resign. Meanwhile, Biden's reelection campaign continues to insist he is running, as a spokesperson slams Trump's rally remarks as showing he is "focused only on himself."
- Sunday, July 21 - Joe Biden announces he isn't running in November in a shock letter, just hours after insisting he was staying in the race. He is the first incumbent to step down in their first term since 1968. Biden endorses Kamala Harris for president as senior Dems through their support behind the Vice President. The news appears to throw the Republicans off their stride. Biden vows to continue his term until November's election.
- Monday, July 22 - Kamala Harris raises a record $81 million in 24 hours as she secures the Democratic candidacy. She also inherits some $91 million in leftover campaign funds from Biden. Harris gives her first speech since Biden stepped out, and speaks to the president on the phone, although he doesn't appear in person. Under-pressure Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle appears on Capitol Hill and faces increasing calls to resign over the shooting of Trump. She admits the Secret Service "failed" on July 13 and resigns the following day.
6
6
6
Topics