FREEPORT, Pa. (AP) — Thousands of mourners gathered at a Pennsylvania ballroom Thursday to remember a former fire chief shot and killed during an assassination attempt by former President Donald Trump, who sent a eulogy calling him a hero.
The crowd that paid tribute to Corey Comperatore and his family was made up of friends, neighbors and strangers who appeared to want to show their appreciation for the man authorities said died in a car crash. I spent my last moments He protected his wife and daughter from gunfire at a campaign rally.
Fire engines and police vehicles filled the parking lot outside the building. Snipers were positioned above the event hall and in nearby buildings as dozens of people queued to get in. Firefighters in full uniform were among the mourners.
Comperatore, 50, works as a project and tools engineer, is an Army Reserve officer and was a volunteer firefighter for many years after serving as station chief. His obituary.
Trump suffered an ear injury However, his injuries were not serious and he is attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week.
Laubehall, with its white brick walls, white linen, white curtains and exposed wooden beams, a space normally used for weddings and other celebratory events, was filled with mourners.
Guests passed a large framed photo of Comperatore holding a fish while a screen played a slideshow of photos from his life: his wedding, his recent 50th birthday party, time with his daughters, firefighting, fishing on the lake and bonding time with his Doberman.
The rally was attended by firefighters from surrounding areas and people involved in local and state Republican politics.
Penn Hills volunteer firefighter Rich Tullis, who attended the memorial, said he didn’t know Comperatore personally but felt he needed to honor his memory.
“All emergency personnel, whether it’s police, ambulance, fire or military, are like brothers. We’re all one technically,” he said. “When one dies, we all die.”
Flowers were laid out on tables in the hall, some from fire departments in New York and West Virginia, auto race tracks, mayors of nearby towns and cities, and from people as far away as Connecticut and Florida who learned of Mr. Comperatore after his death.
Cards accompanying the arrangement praised his selflessness and dedication to his family. One card said his name “will go down in history.”
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There were hundreds of people inside the venue at any one time, and the total attendance undoubtedly numbered in the thousands. Mourners took turns standing in front of Mr. Comperatore’s open casket, decorated with flowers and ribbons bearing words like “Dad” and “Husband.”
In one corner of the room was a framed copy of a letter that Trump and former first lady Melania Trump wrote to Comperatore’s wife: “Corey will always be remembered as a true American hero,” they wrote.
A box truck parked on the road to the banquet hall displayed a video screen showing slides including a photo of Trump raising his fist after Saturday’s shooting, along with the slogan “We will never surrender” and messages offering prayers for Trump and Comperatore.
Associated Press reporter Ben Thomas reports that a vigil was held in Pennsylvania to honor a former fire chief who was shot and killed at a Trump rally on Saturday.
The two-hour memorial was the second of two public events celebrating Comperatore’s life, following a vigil for him at the auto race track that drew hundreds of people on Wednesday.
A private funeral is planned for Friday.
A statement released by Comperatore’s family on Thursday described him as a “loving father, husband and friend to many in the Butler area.”
“Our family has found comfort and peace in the heartfelt messages of encouragement from people around the world, the support of our church and community, and above all, the power of God,” the statement said.
Dan Ritter, who delivered the eulogy at Wednesday’s vigil, said he bought Comperatore’s childhood home in 1993 and that the two men’s friendship was forged through shared values of family, Christian faith and politics.
“Corey loved his family and was always there for them,” Ritter said. “Last Saturday was meant to be that day for him. He did what any good father would do — he protected the people he loved. He’s a true hero to all of us.”
Comperatore’s pastor, the Rev. Jonathan Fehr of Cabot Methodist Church in Cabot, said the family was “thrilled by the way this community has come together to support them” and touched by the support they have received from people around the world.
The vigil ended with Comperatore’s favorite song, “I Can Only Imagine” by Christian rock band MercyMe, playing and photos of him and his family projected on a screen as people lit candles and held up cell phones, glow sticks and lighters.
Two other people were injured at the rally: David Duch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township. Both men were in serious but stable condition as of Wednesday night, according to a spokesperson for Allegheny Health Network.
Copenhaver’s lawyer, Joseph Feldman, said he spoke with his client by phone Wednesday.
“He appears to be in good spirits, but he understands the gravity of the situation,” Feldman said, “and he is deeply saddened by what happened and has deep sympathy for the other victims and their families.”
Feldman said Copenhaver suffered “life-changing injuries” but did not provide details. He said Copenhaver’s top priority was “continuing the treatment he is receiving and hopefully being released from the hospital at some point.”
In a statement, Duch’s family thanked “the western Pennsylvania community and countless others across the country and around the world” for the incredible outpouring of prayers and well wishes.
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Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, Lisa Bauman in Bellingham, Washington, and Michael Rubinkam in northeastern Pennsylvania contributed to this report.
