‘He died a hero’: Butler County fire community remembers former chief killed at Trump rally

BUFFALO TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Corey Comperatore never met a stranger in Butler County.

“He’s one of those guys – you just saw a smile. It lit up the room,” said Craig Cirrincione, 2nd lieutenant for the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company.

He loved the outdoors, was an active member of the Cabot Church, and served his community as the fire chief in Buffalo Township in the early 2000s.

But on Sunday, a black drape hung over Comperatore’s fire locker, a lifetime member of the department who hung up his Chief helmet, in part, to spend more time with his girls.

He was a family man and a protector until the very end.

“Shielding his daughters…the loves of his life,” said John Risch, former fire chief of the Winfield Township VFD. “This one hurts…this one hurts.”

Comperatore was killed Saturday night as shots rang out at former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally at the Butler County Farm Show Grounds. Friends and family members said Comperatore died a hero, losing his life as he dove over his family.

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“He covered his family up. That’s Corey. That’s what he was about,” Risch said.

Tears fell, as members of the Butler County fire community called this a major loss, struggling to come to terms with what happened, while vowing to be more like Comperatore.

“He’ll always be remembered as the guy who took the bullet for the president,” said Scott Hoffman, Buffalo Township’s former assistant chief.

“People just have to be more open and loving. There’s way too much hate in the world right now. He definitely didn’t have the hate, he had the love,” said Cirrincione.

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