Who is Corey Comperatore? Donald Trump inauguration parade pays tribute to Pennsylvania man killed at rally

Corey Comperatore, the man who was shot and killed while trying to shield his wife and family from the attempted assassination of President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was honored at Trump's presidential inauguration on Monday.

At the ceremony, an inaugural parade was held in his honor while everyone held a moment of silence. Corey Comperatore, who was 50 when he died, was a 10-year veteran of the US Army Reserves.

Following his stint there, he made his foray into the engineering field, though he was also highly active at his Church and the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department.

Comperatore was killed in July 2024 at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds when the assassination attempt on President Trump went awry. At the time, he was attending the rally when he took a gunshot to his person. Speaking with BBC, his wife Helen Comperatore said:

"I see it every time I close my eyes, and probably will for a long time. I'm angry because there were a lot of mistakes made that day, and it didn't have to happen. He just liked how [Trump] got things done, and that he wasn't a politician and he didn't talk like one."

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The life and legacy Corey Comperatore leaves behind as his former colleagues at the volunteer fire department pay their final respects

The parade took place at Capitol One Arena in Washington D.C., and well over ninety first responders from about 19 different agencies, ranging from the Pennsylvania State Police, local police, and county sheriff, to the EMS, among others.

During that time, the Butler County responders carried Comperatore's fire jacket in their formation. However, his name was misspelled on the jacket to read "Compertore." However, WTAE has reported that the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company affirmed that the jacket was his this summer and sent it to the president.

Furthermore, while the volunteer fire department did not make it clear why the jacket was misspelled, the outlet has reported that they did confirm on Facebook that it “was in error years ago, and it was left that way by Corey.”

Just days before the inauguration, Butler 911 coordinator Robert McLafferty shared the department's plans to pay tribute to Corey Comperatore during their procession, as he spoke with Action News 4:

"This event is going to recognize Corey and what Corey meant to so many people. And so, Corey, you know, when we talk about being in the front or near the front of the parade, Corey's helmet will be in front of us, and that's going to be carried, recognizing that he gave all." McLafferty said. " It also shows what Butler County has, what Butler County means. Butler County is hard-working, resilient folks who have made it through this tragedy, who obviously were impacted by the tragedy, but immediately went back to their lives and taking care of each other and making sure that, the county continues to thrive."

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Corey Comperatore is survived by his wife, Helen, and their two children.