SARVER, Pa. — Hundreds of people gathered to remember the former fire chief who was fatally shot at a weekend meeting for former President Donald Trump were called upon to find “unity” as the rural Pennsylvania area tried to recover from the assassination attempt.
Wednesday’s public event was the first of two held to commemorate and celebrate the life of Corey Comperatore. The second, a visitation for friends, was scheduled for Thursday at Laube Hall in Freeport.
Outside Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, where the vigil was held for Comperatore, a sign read, “Rest in Peace Corey, Thank You for Your Service,” with his fire department’s logo.
On the country road leading to the racetrack – lined with cornfields, churches and industrial plants – a sign outside a local credit union read: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Comperatore family.”
Comperatore, 50, had worked as a project and tool engineer, was an Army reservist and spent many years as a volunteer firefighter after serving as a chief, he said. his obituary.
He died on Saturday during the attempted assassination of Trump at the meeting in Butler.
Comperatore spent the last moments of his life by shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire, officials said.
Vigil organizer Kelly McCollough told the crowd Wednesday that the event was not political. There was no room for hate or personal opinions, other than a show 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. It was the beginning of a friendship that grew over their shared values about family, Christian faith and politics.
“Corey loved his family and always spent time with them,” Ritter said. “Last Saturday should have been one of those days for him. He did what a good father would do. He protected those he loved. He is a true hero to all of us.”
Jeff Lowers of the Freeport Fire Department had been trained by Comperatore and said at the vigil that he always had a smile on his face.
Afterward, Heidi Powell, a family friend, read the speech from Comperatore’s high school economics teacher, who was unfortunately unable to attend the vigil.
“What truly made Corey extraordinary was his indomitable spirit, unyielding courage and unwavering optimism,” wrote the teacher, Mark Wyant.
Comperatore’s pastor, Jonathan Fehl of Cabot Methodist Church in Cabot, said the family is “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 holding up cell phones, glow sticks and lighters as Comperatore’s 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, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township. Both were in serious but stable condition Wednesday evening, an Allegheny Health Network spokesman said.
In a statement, Dutch’s family thanked the “western Pennsylvania community and countless others across the country and world” for the incredible outpouring of prayers and well wishes.
Trump suffered ear injury but was not seriously injured and attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week.
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AP reporters Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, contributed.