Father Corey Comperatore, who was killed at Trump rally, went into hiding to protect his family

A man in the audience died while trying to protect his family during the assassination attempt on Donald Trump on Saturday, authorities said.

Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteer fire chief, rushed toward his family members when the shots rang out.

“Corey died a hero,” Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said at a press conference on Sunday.

Pennsylvania State Police said the other two people shot were 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver. Both were in stable condition Sunday.

The Pennsylvania governor said he had spoken to Mr Comperatore’s wife and two daughters.

“Corey went to church every Sunday,” he said. “Corey loved his community. And most of all, Corey loved his family.”

He said Mr Comperatore was an avid supporter of Donald Trump and was excited to be at the rally on Saturday.

“Corey was the best of us. May his memory be a blessing,” Shapiro said. “Last night was shocking… political differences can never be resolved with violence.”

State police said Mr. Comperatore lived in Sarver, about 12 miles from the rally site in Butler outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In addition to his work with the volunteer fire department, according to his social media profiles, he worked as a project and tool engineer for a plastics manufacturer.

“He was a good person,” neighbor Matt Achilles told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We may not have shared political views, but that didn’t stop him from being a good friend and neighbor.”

“He donated money to us when I was in the hospital and he always came by our flea markets. He always waved when I drove past his house,” Mr Achilles said.

Mr Shapiro said he had also spoken to the family of one of the injured, but declined to give details of the conversation.

A bullet, one of six to eight shots fired at the rally, grazed former President Trump’s ear.

The gunman, identified by authorities as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot by Secret Service agents tasked with protecting the former president.