SARVAR, Pennsylvania. Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday to remember the former fire chief shot and killed in a weekend rally for former president Donald Trump in a rural part of Pennsylvania shaken by violence perpetrated by a local 20-year-old man.
Outside the 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,” with the logo of his fire department.
On the rural road leading to the auto racing track — lined with cornfields, churches and industrial plants — a sign outside a local credit union reads: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Comperatore family.”
Compatore, 50, worked as a design and tool engineer, was an Army reservist and spent many years as a volunteer firefighter after serving as chief, according to your obituary.
He died Saturday during a attempt to kill Trump at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Comperatore spent the final moments spent most of his life protecting his wife and daughter from gunfire, authorities said.
Vigil organizer Kelly McCollough told the crowd Wednesday that the vigil was not an event of a political nature, adding that there was no room for hate or personal opinions 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 the eulogy, said he purchased the Comperatore’s childhood home in 1993 – sparking a friendship that grew on 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 those he loved. He is a true hero to us all.”
Jeff Lowers of the Freeport Fire Department trained with Comperatore and at the vigil said Comperatore always had a smile on his face.
Afterwards, Heidi Powell, a family friend, read comments from Comperatore’s high school economics teacher, who was unable to attend Thursday’s vigil.
“What made Corey truly extraordinary was his indomitable spirit, his unwavering courage, and his unwavering optimism,” wrote professor Mark Wyant.
Comperatore pastor Jonathan Fehl of Cabot Methodist Church in Cabot, Pennsylvania, said the murdered man’s family “has been humbled by the way this community has rallied around them” and the support they have received from people around the world. .
Before the rally, Comperatore posted on social media that he had gotten a seat upgrade at the event, according to Collin Burke. The 27-year-old lived next door to the Comperatore while growing up and had previously volunteered at the fire department with it.
Hearing about the shooting prompted Burke to send a message to the Comperatore asking if he was okay.
The Comperatore never responded.
“It crushed me,” Burke said Wednesday of Comperatore’s death.
Burke said he planned to attend a private funeral nearby on Friday. The public was also invited to pay their respects at an open house that began Thursday afternoon at Laube Hall in Freeport, Pennsylvania.
As a child, Burke rode the same school bus as the Comperatore’s daughters. He remembered Comperatore as having the best lawn on the block, owning two beautiful Dobermans and fishing for bass in his spare time.
He described Comperatore as a Trump supporter “through and through” and also as a “very nice person.”
The vigil ended with people in the crowd lighting candles and raising cellphones, glow sticks and lighters in honor of Comperatore as his favorite song – “I Can Only Imagine” by Christian rock band MercyMe – played while photos of him and his family were shown in 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. Copenhaver on Wednesday was upgraded from critical to serious condition, according to the family’s attorney, Joseph Feldman.
Trump suffered an ear injury but was not seriously injured and participated in the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week.
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AP reporters Heather Hollingsworth contributed from Mission, Kansas, and Lisa Baumann contributed from Bellingham, Washington.
