Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief who was shot and killed at Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, spent his final moments protecting his family from gunfire in the attempted assassination of the former president.

According to those that knew him, that's just the kind of person Comperatore was; someone who lived and died helping others.

"He’s a literal hero. He shoved his family out of the way, and he got killed for them," said neighbor Mike Morehouse, who lived next to Comperatore for eight years. "He’s a hero that I was happy to have as a neighbor."

Comperatore, 50, was a proud Trump supporter. His quick thinking in putting his body between his wife and daughter and the bullets attempting to reach the former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee rings true to those that knew him. 

"In his last moments, he was shielding his family from the gunfire," said Craig Cirrincione, Lieutenant at the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, where Comperatore was previously a fire chief. "Even if that was just a random civilian beside him, he would have done the same thing. He was a man that just wanted to protect and serve and love. He was truly a man of love."

Firefighters placed black bunting outside the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company to honor Comperatore.

"Corey was a lifetime volunteer firefighter within our company and will be greatly missed by all who knew him," the fire department wrote in a post on Facebook. "Corey, rest easy brother and we will take it from here. Please pray and send good thoughts to Corey's family and everyone that knew him."

In the front yard of the family's Pennsylvania home, a memorial of flowers and an American flag was erected.

Comperatore was remembered as a father to two daughters, a husband and a churchgoing member of the community.

"Corey was a girl dad," said Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in his memory. "Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community. Most especially, Corey loved his family."

"This is the last thing that this man ever deserved," Cirrincione said.

Assistant Chief Ricky Heasley, who knew Comperatore for more than a decade, remembered him as someone who "never had a bad word."

Both President Joe Biden and Trump honored Comperatore and expressed their condolences to his loved ones.

"He was a father," Biden said. "He was protecting his family from the bullets being fired when he lost his life. God love him."

A GoFundMe for his family has received nearly $1 million in donations as of Monday afternoon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.