The widow of slain former volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore became emotional and tearful in an interview Friday, calling it a “great honor” to deliver the eulogy alongside former President Trump at the Republican National Convention.
Just over a month after the July 13 assassination attempt on President Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, Corey Comperatore's widow, Helen, spoke exclusively for the first time to Pittsburgh's Action News 4 in a news release. She reflected on her life with Comperatore before the tragedy that took his life at the rally, and said that Trump's eulogy at the Republican National Convention in late July was an “honor” for her husband, and that he finally had his “moment” onstage. (Related: President Trump issues tribute to former fire chief killed in rally attack)
“It was an honor. It was a huge honor,” Helen said. “And I'll tell you why. My husband kept saying throughout the meeting, 'He's going to call me up on stage. I'm going to hear him. He's going to say, 'Come on over here, Corey. Come on over here, Corey.' He was joking, of course, but he kept saying, 'You stand up too. He's going to call me up on stage.' And we all thought that this was his moment to get up on stage. And he got his moment on stage.”
clock:
On the evening of July 18, President Trump brought Comperatore's fire equipment onto the stage before addressing delegates and supporters at the Republican National Convention. The tribute came shortly after Comperatore was shot and killed by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks while trying to shield his daughter Allison from gunfire at the rally.
“I was the one who was thrown down by my dad,” Allison said in an interview. “And as he tried to throw me down, he got shot, and he fell on top of me, and I don't remember hearing any other gunshots, I don't remember feeling any other gunshots, because in that moment, like I said before, I was just trying to take care of my dad. And I turned around, confused, and I said, 'Dad?' And I turned around and he was down.”
After the incident, Helen Comperatore said in a Facebook post that Trump had called to offer his condolences and promised to speak again “in the coming days and weeks.”
Crooks fired multiple shots into the crowd after the first bullet grazed Trump's ear before he was eventually shot and killed by authorities. As details emerged in the aftermath of the incident, potential security lapses by the Secret Service were raised.
Helen said the family has hired an attorney to seek “justice” for the former volunteer fire chief and is seeking an explanation from security at the rally.
“I want justice for my husband and I'm going to get it,” Helen said.
As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
