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Butler County fire community remembers former chief killed at Trump rally – WPXI

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BUFFALO TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania – Corey Comperatore has never met a stranger in Butler County.

“He’s one of those guys – you just see a smile. It lights up the room,” said Craig Cirrincione, lieutenant of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department.

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

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

He was a family man and protector until the end.

“He’s protecting his daughters… the loves of his life,” said John Risch, former fire chief of the Winfield Township VFD. “That hurts… that hurts.”

Comperatore was killed Saturday night when 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 and lost his life when he lunged at his family.

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

Tears flowed as members of the Butler County firefighting community called this a great loss and struggled to accept what happened while vowing to be more like Comperatore.

“He will always be remembered as the man who took the bullet for the president,” said Scott Hoffman, former deputy chief of Buffalo Township.

“People just need 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,” Cirrincione said.

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