FREEPORT, Pa. (AP) — Thousands of mourners filled a Pennsylvania banquet hall Thursday to remember the former fire chief who was fatally shot during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally.
Fire trucks and police vehicles filled the parking lot outside the building where friends of Corey Comperatore went to pay their respects to him and his family.
Sharpshooters were stationed atop buildings overlooking the venue and the dozens of people waiting in line to enter. Among the mourners were firefighters in dress uniforms and a group of five men in black suits with gold, red and blue “Trump 2024” buttons on their lapels.
Comperatore, 50, worked as a project and tooling engineer, was an Army reservist and spent many years as a volunteer firefighter after serving as chief, according to his obituary. He spent the final moments of his life shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire, officials said.
Trump suffered an ear injury but was not seriously hurt and has been participating this week in the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Mourners filled Laube Hall, a space with white brick walls, white linens, white curtains and exposed wooden beams that’s normally used for weddings and other celebratory occasions.
Guests walked past a large framed photo of Comperatore holding a fish, while a slideshow of photos from life was projected on a screen — his wedding, a recent 50th birthday party, time with his daughters, firefighting, fishing on a lake and palling around with his beloved Dobermans.
The crowd appeared to be a mix of people who knew Comperatore and strangers who simply wanted to show their appreciation of him. The gathering included firefighters from other nearby communities and people involved in local and state Republican politics.
Tables inside the hall were lined with flowers — some sent by fire departments in New York and West Virginia, an auto racing circuit and the mayor of a nearby community. Others came from people in faraway places such as Connecticut and Florida who knew of Comperatore only because of his death.
The messages on the cards accompanying the arrangements hailed him as a hero and praised his selflessness and dedication to his family. One said his name would be “written in the history books.”
Several hundred people were inside the space at any given time, and the overall attendance was sure to climb into the thousands.
A box truck parked on a route to the banquet hall displayed video screens showing slides, including a photograph of Trump raising his fist after last Saturday’s shooting, with the slogan “never surrender” and a message expressing prayers for Trump and Comperatore.
The visitation was the second event memorializing Comperatore. Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday at a vigil for him at an auto racing track.
A statement issued Thursday by Comperatore’s family described him as a “beloved father and husband, and a friend to so many throughout the Butler region.”
“Our family is finding comfort and peace through the heartfelt messages of encouragement from people around the world, through the support of our church and community, and most of all through the strength of God,” the statement said.
Dan Ritter, who gave a eulogy at Wednesday’s vigil, said he bought Comperatore’s childhood home in 1993, sparking a friendship that grew with their shared values of family, Christian faith and politics.
“Corey loved his family and was always spending time with them,” Ritter said. “This past Saturday was supposed to be one of those days for him. He did what a good father would do. He protected those he loved. He’s a true hero for us all.”
Comperatore’s pastor, Jonathan Fehl of Cabot Methodist Church in Cabot, said the family “has been humbled by the way this community has rallied around them,” and by the support they have received from people around the world.
The vigil concluded with people in the crowd lighting candles and raising cellphones, glow sticks and lighters as Comperatore’s favorite song — “I Can Only Imagine,” by Christian rock band MercyMe — played while pictures of him and his family were shown on a screen.
Two other people were wounded at the rally: David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township. As of Wednesday night, both had been upgraded to serious but stable condition, according to a spokesperson with Allegheny Health Network.
Joseph Feldman, an attorney for Copenhaver, said Wednesday that he had spoken with his client by phone.
“He seems to be in good spirits, but he also understands the gravity of the situation,” Feldman said. “And he’s deeply saddened about what has occurred, and he’s deeply sympathetic” to the other victims and their families.
Feldman said Copenhaver suffered “life-altering injuries,” declining to go into detail. He said Copenhaver’s priority is to “keep up with the medical treatment he’s receiving and hopefully be released at some point.”
In a statement, Dutch’s family thanked the “greater western Pennsylvania community and countless others across the country and world” for the incredible outpouring of prayers and well wishes.
___
Associated Press reporters Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington; and Michael Rubinkam in northeastern Pennsylvania contributed.
