BUFFALO TWP — Two years after the untimely death of her husband, Corey Comperatore, at the campaign rally for now-President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, Helen Comperatore has done her utmost to turn tragedy into triumphs.

From steering the Corey’s Cruise event into an annual celebration to traveling for public speaking, she said she’s in the process of healing. Her daughters, Allyson and Kaylee, also found ways to heal and grow during the past two years.

On July 13, 2024, Helen and Corey Comperatore, alongside their daughters, joined thousands of people at the Butler Farm Show grounds for a rally for now-President Donald Trump, who was campaigning for a second term.

About 10 minutes after Trump took the stage, Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on the rally from a nearby roof in an attempt to assassinate Trump. Corey Comperatore was killed shielding his wife and two daughters from the gunfire.

Recently, Helen Comperatore’s life has been dominated by one person. Her first grandchild, Dean Hinchberger, was born May 19 to Allyson Comperatore Hinchberger and her husband, Josh Hinchberger.

“He is absolutely precious,” Helen Comperatore said. “That child, no matter what kind of day I’m having, the moment I pick him up, it’s gone. He just brings sheer happiness to this family.”

She said since Dean’s birth, she has spent even more time with her daughter for both their sakes.

“I go two days, and I’m like ‘I need snuggles, I can’t take this. I got to come down,’” she said.

She said she jokes with Allyson on whether they are sick of one another yet — but the answer is always no.

“I practically moved in for that first month,” Helen Comperatore said.

But Allyson is not the only one growing the family. Helen’s younger daughter, Kaylee Comperatore, is engaged to local country music artist Gary Burk III. While the wedding is still on the horizon, Helen said they’re already adjusting to life together.

“(Kaylee) and Gary just got a new house. It’s beautiful and they’re adjusting to it together. And they’re getting ready for the wedding,” Helen Comperatore said.

She said Kaylee met Burk through his song dedicated to Corey Comperatore, “Until We Meet Again,” as well as his headlining of last year’s Corey’s Cruise.

“One of the things I talk about when I speak at my speaking events is about the love story that came out of this because it really was a beautiful thing,” she said. “Corey was always worried that Kaylee was never going to find a man because she was just very picky.

“He was so worried about her not getting married and having kids and then they got together during all this stuff.”

She said she told the two of them she already wants more grandchildren as soon as they’re wed.

“They made me wait a long time. I mean, Allyson’s 29. Kaylee’s going to be 26. That’s a long time,” she said in comparison to her peers.

She said she and Corey Comperatore were bittersweet about becoming empty nesters.

“Corey and I were so excited to have that empty nest. Well, I cried for six months, but then after that we kind of got used to it. We enjoyed it,” she said.

Helen Comperatore also said she recently moved into a new home, which offers a large, beautiful backyard and plenty of quiet.

“I have a deer family back there. There’s a buck, a doe and their baby. They come out and they eat every morning and every evening. I love to watch the sunset, because that’s what (Corey and I) did. So, I like to drink my coffee and go out there and watch the deer and the sunset,” she said.

However, moving has been a challenge of its own.

“I haven’t touched Corey’s things,” Helen Comperatore said. “His dirty laundry is still in the basket where it was the day he was killed. I open his closet door and I go in there, pick his clothes up and I just smell them.”

She said she spent the July 13 anniversary with her daughters. Throughout the past week, she said she’s received an overwhelming amount of support from texts, phone calls and visits.

She said members of the Trump family still reach out to her to make sure she is doing well. She added she just texted with Eric Trump last week.

However, some things she hears — especially on social media — infuriate her.

“They all want to say it’s fake. That is the worst statement that I can read. That it’s fake. I would just love to go through the computer and rip them off it,” she said.

She added she avoids anything on Facebook other than what her friends post so she doesn’t have to see the rhetoric — especially on the anniversary.

“You got the really good, but then you got the really bad,” she said.

Most of her time is used toward planning Corey’s Cruise, which will be held for its second year July 25. She said she and the Corey Comperatore Foundation board have looked at last year’s event and made changes based on what they liked and didn’t like.

“I just feel so good this year. So much better than I felt after last year. It’s just been different all around,” she said.

Besides planning Corey’s Cruise, Helen Comperatore said she was involved in numerous speaking engagements. The week of July 13, she said she went to Indiana for that purpose.

“I just love that I’m able to make something positive out of all this. You know, who would’ve thought talking about such a tragedy brings out positivity for people and changes the way they think about things? It needs to,” she said.

She said proceeds of Corey’s Cruise and other Corey Comperatore Foundation events benefit local institutions, from fire departments to churches. She said the proceeds from last year’s cruise remained in the nearby community. However, she hopes to expand with the upcoming rendition.

“We kept it very local (last year) and I did that due to the fact that everybody local really took care of me last year,” she said. “From a lady bringing a meal to my house. The police just driving around and checking on my home to make sure I was OK. And the firemen, of course, checked on me continuously. My church was amazing. The church up the street was amazing.

“I just wanted to give back to them.”

She said she likes to think Corey Comperatore would be surprised and proud of what she’s accomplished.

“There’s a lot of times I think he’d be really proud of me and say, ‘I can’t believe you did that for me,’ because none of this is me. I would’ve never done something like this. It was just never me,” she said.

She said she believes God’s guiding hand is still at work and has helped her find her new purpose.

“I think he puts you where you need to be, where you’re supposed to be. It’s a lot of pain to get there, but I think that’s why it feels so good to help other people. If I can take their pain away, then I feel better,” she said.

Looking ahead, Helen Comperatore said she wants to build a small seating area around the statue of Corey Comperatore at the Butler Farm Show grounds.

“I have this vision in my head of having this really nice brick pad and two of those old style lights you used to see out on the road. Then, I want to put two park benches there so you can actually sit while you’re there,” she said.

She said she feels very confident about bringing back Corey’s Cruise for 2027 and beyond and will look for new ways to give back to the community that has never stopped caring for her.

Corey’s Cruise: if you go

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• Saturday, July 25, 2026

• Held at Butler Fairgrounds, 1127 New Castle Road, Franklin Township

• Motorcycle Registration Begins at 7 a.m.

• Ride begins at 11 a.m.

• Fairground opens to general admission at 1 p.m.