SARVER, Pa. — Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday to pay their respects to the former fire chief shot and killed during a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump in a rural Pennsylvania area rocked by violence by a 20-year-old man.
Outside Lernersville Speedway in Sarvar, Pennsylvania, where the vigil for Corey Comperatore was being held, a sign read: “Rest in peace Corey, thank you for your service,” along with the logo of his fire company.
On the rural road leading to the racetrack, lined with cornfields, churches and factories, a sign outside a local credit union reads: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Comperatore family.”
Comperatore, 50, had 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 died Saturday in an assassination attempt on Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Comperatore spent the last moments of his life shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire, authorities said.
Vigil organizer Kelly McCollough told the crowd Wednesday that the vigil was not a political event, adding that there was no room for hatred or personal views other than an outpouring of support for the Comperatore family.
“Tonight is about unity,” McCollough said. “We need each other. We need to feel love. We need to feel safe. We need clarity in this chaos. We need strength. We need healing.”
Dan Ritter, who delivered a eulogy, said he bought Comperatore’s childhood home in 1993, sparking a friendship that grew out of their shared values of family, Christian faith and politics.
“Corey loved his family and always spent time with them,” Ritter said. “Last Saturday was supposed to be one of those days for him. He did what a good father would do. He protected the ones he loved. He is a true hero to all of us.”
Jeff Lowers of the Freeport Fire Department trained with Comperatore and said at the vigil that Comperatore always had a smile on his face.
Afterward, Heidi Powell, a family friend, read remarks from Comperatore’s high school economics teacher, who was unable to attend Wednesday’s vigil.
“What made Corey truly extraordinary was his indomitable spirit, his unwavering courage and his unwavering optimism,” wrote Professor Mark Wyant.
Comperatore’s pastor, Jonathan Fehl of Cabot Methodist Church in Pennsylvania, said the slain man’s family “has been touched by the way this community has rallied around them” and the support they have received from people around the world.
Before the rally, Comperatore had posted on social media that he had gotten upgraded seats at the event, according to Collin Burke. The 27-year-old lived next door to Comperatore growing up and had previously volunteered at the fire station with him.
Upon learning of the shooting, Burke sent a message to Comperatore to ask if he was okay.
Comperatore never responded.
“It devastated me,” Burke said Wednesday of Comperatore’s death.
Burke said he plans to attend a private funeral nearby Friday. The public was also invited to pay his respects at a visitation that began Thursday afternoon at Laube Hall in Freeport, Pennsylvania.
As a child, Burke rode the same school bus as Comperatore’s daughters. He remembered Comperatore as a man who had the best lawn in the neighborhood, owned two beautiful Dobermans and fished for bass in his spare time.
He described Comperatore as a Trump supporter “through and through” and also a “very friendly person.”
The vigil ended with people in the crowd lighting candles and holding up cellphones, glow sticks and lighters in honor of Comperatore as his favorite song — “I Can Only Imagine” by the Christian rock band MercyMe — played while photos of him and his family were shown on a screen.
Two other people were injured at the rally: David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Their conditions were listed as serious but stable Wednesday night, an Allegheny Health Network spokesperson said.
Trump suffered an ear injury but was not seriously injured and attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week.
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