The firefighter who was killed while shielding his family from bullets during a shooting at a rally for Donald Trump over the weekend was the nephew of a former Southern California politician.
Corey Comperatore was killed Saturday evening after a gunman attempted to assassinate former President Trump at a rally in Butler. The bullet grazed the Republican presidential nominee and the assailant injured two others in the shooting.
“He is a firefighter and his job is to save lives. It was in an instant when he heard the shots, he got on the ground and protect his loved ones,” said Tom Fuhrman, former Menifee councilmember and Comperatore’s uncle. Comperatore is the stepson of Fuhrman’s brother.
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“From what my brother tells me, he was like a son to him. A real son,” Fuhrman said.
The former politician said the victim’s two daughters were seated near him and that he dove over his girls and his wife to protect them.
“I’ve taken it hard because I also lost a son and I know how it feels to lose a son. It’s sad that you never forget,” Fuhrman said. “To this day it still brings tears to my eyes and talking about it and how my brother and sister are feeling. I’m tearing up right now.”
According to Fuhrman, his 50-year-old nephew was a retired fire chief from the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company in Pennsylvania. He was described as a family man and a devoted supporter of Trump.
At this time, the victim’s family is planning a funeral for Comperatore. Fuhrman said his family hopes Trump will attend the services.
