Former fire chief who died at Trump rally used his body to shield family from gunfire

BUFFALO TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — The former fire chief who was killed at a Pennsylvania rally for Donald Trump spent his final moments diving down in front of his family, protecting them from the gunfire that rang out Saturday during an assassination attempt against the former president.

Corey Comperatore's quick decision to use his body as a shield against the bullets flying toward his wife and daughter rang true to the close friends and neighbors who loved and respected the proud 50-year-old Trump supporter, noting that the Butler County resident was a “man of conviction."

“He’s a literal hero. He shoved his family out of the way, and he got killed for them,” said Mike Morehouse, who lived next to Comperatore for the last eight years. “He’s a hero that I was happy to have as a neighbor."

Comperatore died Saturday during an attempt to kill Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. At least two other people were injured: David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. Both were listed in stable condition as of Sunday.

As support for Comperatore’s family began to pour in from across the country, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden also extended their “deepest condolences."

“He was a father. He was protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired and he lost his life, God love him," said Biden, who added he was praying for the full recovery of the wounded.

Separately, Texas U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson said in a statement Sunday that his nephew was injured but “thankfully his injury was not serious.”

“My family was sitting in the front, near where the President was speaking," Jackson said. "They heard shots ringing out — my nephew then realized he had blood on his neck and something had grazed and cut his neck. He was treated by the providers in the medical tent.”

The Secret Service said it killed the suspected shooter, who attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue.

The former president was showing off a chart of border-crossing numbers when at least five shots were fired. Trump was seen holding his ear and got down on the ground. Agents quickly huddled in a shield around him. When he stood, his face bloodied, he pumped his fist to cheering supporters as he was whisked off stage by Secret Service agents.

Trump later extended his condolences to Comperatore's family.

Randy Reamer, president of the Buffalo Township volunteer fire company, called Comperatore “a stand-up guy” and “a true brother of the fire service.” He said Comperatore served as chief of the company for about three years but was also a life member, meaning he had served for more than 20 years.

“Just a great all-around guy, always willing to help someone out,” Reamer said of Comperatore. “He definitely stood up for what he believed in, never backed down to anyone. … He was a really good guy.”

A crew was power-washing the front of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company on Sunday with plans to install memorial drapery to honor the slain former chief.

Assistant Chief Ricky Heasley of Sarver, who knew Comperatore for more than a decade, remembered him as very outgoing and full of life.

“He never had a bad word,” Heasley said.

And in the front yard of the Comperatores' two-story home in Butler County, a small memorial had sprung up of a U.S. flag and small bunches of flowers.

For Morehouse, Comperatore's death was an emotional blow — but it also has inspired political action. Morehouse says he plans on casting a ballot for the first time in his life come November and he plans on checking Trump's name.

“As soon as I heard what happened and then learned that it was to Corey, I went upstairs as soon as I got home and I registered to vote,” Morehouse said. “This is the first time I’ve ever voted and I think it will be in his memory.”

A GoFundMe launched to support Comperatore’s family had already surpassed more than $696,000 in donations as of Sunday.

This undated photo provided by the Buffalo Township, Pa., Volunteer Fire Company shows former Buffalo Township Fire Chief Corey Comperatore. Comperatore was killed during a shooting at a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. (Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company via AP)

The crowd reacts as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Police snipers return fire after shots were fired while Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump was speaking at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Members of the crowd react as U.S. Secret Service agents surround Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

An officer stands at his car early Sunday, July 14, 2024, closing access to the site of the rally where former President Donald Trump was the target of an assassination attempt on Saturday in Butler, Pa.. Behind the officer, a large flag from the rally still flies. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Logan Check, left, junior firefighter, and Randy Reamer, right, president and rescue captain at the Buffalo Township Fire Company 27, hang bunting on the fire station in memory of fellow firefighter Corey Comperatore, in Buffalo Township, Pa., Sunday, July 14, 2024. Comperatore was killed during a shooting at a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. The flag at the station house flies at half staff at left. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Firefighter Craig Cirrincione speaks during an interview next to the locker of Corey Comperatore at the Buffalo Township Fire Company 27 in Buffalo Township, Pa., Sunday, July 14, 2024. Comperatore was killed during a shooting at a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

An automobile license plate at the Buffalo Township Fire Company 27 is wrapped in black bunting in Buffalo Township, Pa., Sunday, July 14, 2024. Firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed during a shooting at a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Helmets rest on the locker of firefighter Corey Comperatore at the Buffalo Township Fire Company 27 in Buffalo Township, Pa., Sunday, July 14, 2024. Comperatore was killed during a shooting at a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Logan Check, left, junior firefighter, and Randy Reamer, president and rescue captain at the Buffalo Township Fire Company 27, hang bunting on the fire station in memory of fellow firefighter Corey Comperatore, in Buffalo Township, Pa., Sunday, July 14, 2024. Comperatore was killed during a shooting at a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. The flag at the station house flies at half staff at left. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Josh Shapiro, right, governor of Pennsylvania, speaks during a news conference, in Butler, Pa., Sunday, July 14, 2024, concerning the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

An officer stands at his car early Sunday, July 14, 2024, closing access to the site of the rally where former President Donald Trump was the target of an assassination attempt on Saturday in Butler, Pa.. Behind the officer, a large flag from the rally still flies. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are showing slight gains as Wall Street puts the finishing touches on one of its best months of the year. The S&P rose 0.2% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 146 points, or 0.3%. The Nasdaq rose 0.1%. Friday is an abbreviated trading day -- stock markets close at 1 p.m. ET and the bond market closes an hour later. Investors are waiting to see how willing shoppers are to spend on gifts for the holidays. Black Friday unofficially kicks off the holiday shopping season, although retailers have been offering early deals for weeks. Macy’s rose 0.8% and Abercrombie & Fitch gained 1.6%.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

HONG KONG (AP) —

Global shares mostly fell on Friday after U.S. markets were closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

France’s CAC 40 was nearly unchanged at 7,178.37 in early trading, while Germany’s DAX edged down 0.1% to 19,407.50. Britain’s FTSE 100 declined less than 0.1% to 8,279.02. Investors were awaiting preliminary inflation data for November for the region using the euro, which may influence the European Central Bank’s future interest rate decisions.

The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were both 0.3% higher. U.S. markets will reopen for a half day on Friday.

In Asian trading, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.4% to 38,208.03 after the government reported that inflation in Tokyo, considered an indicator for national trends, was 2.6% in November, up from 1.8% last month mainly due to a surge in fresh food prices. Core inflation, which excludes fresh food prices, rose modestly to 2.2% year-on-year from 1.8% in October.

Higher inflation tends to reinforce expectations that the Bank of Japan will push ahead with more increases in its benchmark lending rate. That, in turn, pushes up the value of the Japanese yen, which was trading at 150.02 to the U.S. dollar early Friday. A week earlier it was trading above 155 yen per dollar.

The central bank's current policy rate is 0.25%. It only ended a long spell of negative rates in March on the presumption that Japan had largely achieved its 2% inflation target.

South Korea’s Kospi lost 2% to 2,455.91 after the central bank cut its benchmark interest rate on Thursday to relieve pressure on its slowing economy. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged 0.1% lower to 8,436.20.

Chinese markets advanced. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.3% to 19,423.61. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Composite index surged 0.9% to 3,326.46. Gains in retailers' stocks drove market gains after a two-day meeting in Beijing focused on promoting consumption ended on Thursday. Shares of Yonghui Superstore, China’s fifth-largest hypermarket chain operator, surged by over 10%.

Investors also are looking ahead to a major economic planning meeting that is usually held in December.

The holiday Thursday brought a respite in news on President-elect Donald Trump's plans for after he takes office, after markets were rocked earlier in the week by his announcement that he plans to order immediate sharp tariff hikes on imports from Canada, Mexico and China.

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 fell 0.4% and the Dow fell 0.3%. The Nasdaq composite, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, fell 0.6%.

In other dealings Friday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 16 cents to $68.56 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international standard, fell 37 cents to $72.41 per barrel.

The euro rose to $1.0580 from $1.0554.

FILE - People walk past the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, Nov. 26 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

A sign marking the intersection of Wall Street and South Street is shown in New York's Financial District on Tuesday, Nov. 26 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

A person looks at an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei, New York Dows and Shanhai indexes at a securities firm Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)