FREEPORT, Pennsylvania — Thousands of people paid their respects at a Pennsylvania banquet hall on Thursday to the family of a former fire chief who was shot dead during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Trump sent a condolence letter praising Corey Comperatore as a hero, a copy of which was displayed during the visit. He did not attend the memorial, the second of two public events to commemorate and celebrate Comperatore’s life. Hundreds of people gathered for a vigil for him at a racetrack on Wednesday.
A private funeral is planned for Friday. Trump will not attend the funeral because of Secret Service concerns, according to a source familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly.
The crowd Thursday appeared to be a mix of friends, neighbors and strangers who wanted to show their appreciation for the man who officials said spent his last moments while shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire at the campaign rally.
Fire trucks and police vehicles filled the parking lot outside the building. Snipers stood atop the event hall and nearby buildings as people, including firefighters in dress uniforms, lined up to get in.
Comperatore, 50, worked as a project and tool engineer, was an Army reservist and spent many years as a volunteer firefighter after serving as a chief, said his obituary.
Trump suffered ear injury but was not seriously injured and attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week.
Trump honored Comperatore during his speech Thursday night accepting the party’s presidential nomination, flashing his firefighting gear on the party stage, kissing his helmet and calling the former chief “an incredible person.”
Trump said a fund for the family of Comperatore and the two men injured in the attack has raised more than $6 million.
Mourners filled the Laube Hall, a space with white brick walls, white linens, white curtains and exposed wooden beams that is normally used for weddings and other festive occasions.
Guests walked past a large, framed photo of Comperatore holding a fish as a slideshow of photos from his life was projected onto a screen: his wedding, a recent 50th birthday party, time with his daughters, firefighting, fishing and hanging out with his Dobermans.
In attendance were firefighters from other nearby communities and people involved in local and regional Republican politics.
Rich Tallis, a Penn Hills volunteer firefighter who attended the meeting, did not know Comperatore personally but felt the need to honor his memory.
“Every first responder, it’s a brotherhood — police, EMS, fire, military. We’re all technically one,” he said.
Tables in the lobby were filled with flowers — some sent by fire departments in New York and West Virginia, a racetrack and the mayor of a nearby community. Others came from as far away as Florida.
Relatives took turns pausing at Comperatore’s open casket.
In one corner was a framed copy of a note to Comperatore’s wife, signed by Trump and former first lady Melania Trump. “Corey will forever be remembered as a true American hero,” they wrote.
Retired New York City Fire Department Lt. Joe Torrillo said outside the rally that he came because Comperatore was a firefighter who lost his life the same way he lived his: as a hero.
“And you know, a lot of people might not have been able or willing to do what he did,” Torrillo said.
Jon Ruffley, who lives outside Pittsburgh and attended part of the Trump rally on Saturday, went with his wife and young child. He said he hoped his presence would send an encouraging message to the family that “as Americans, we stick together regardless of, you know, what anyone’s political leanings are.”
“I think it is very important that we raise our children in a way where we understand that political violence is unacceptable, that we stand up for important discussions about issues in our society,” he said.
A truck parked on a route to the ballpark showed video screens with slides, including a photo of Trump raising his fist after Saturday’s shooting. It bore the slogan “never surrender” and a message praying for Trump and Comperatore.
In a statement released Thursday by Comperatore’s family, he was described as a “beloved father and husband, and a friend to many in the Butler area.”
“Our family has found comfort and peace through the heartfelt messages of encouragement from people around the world, the support of our church and community, and most importantly, the power of God,” the statement said.
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.
Joseph Feldman, an attorney for Copenhaver, said Wednesday that he had spoken to 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 by what happened, and he sympathizes deeply” with the other victims and their families.
Feldman said Copenhaver suffered “life-altering injuries,” declining to go into details. He said Copenhaver’s priority is to “keep up with the medical treatment that he’s receiving and hopefully be released at some point.”
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.
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Associated Press reporters Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington; Michelle Price in Milwaukee; and Michael Rubinkam in northeastern Pennsylvania contributed to this report.