OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:46 PM – Thursday, July 18, 2024
As the rural Pennsylvanian neighborhood seeks to recover from the trauma of the Trump assassination attempt, hundreds of people gathered to memorialize the former fire chief who was fatally shot as a bystander during Saturday’s weekend rally for former President Donald Trump.
The first of two planned public events to honor and celebrate 50-year-old Corey Comperatore’s life was held on Wednesday and Thursday. The second event, a visitation for friends, was scheduled at Freeport’s Laube Hall.
A placard with Comperatore’s fire department’s logo said, “Rest in Peace Corey, Thank You For Your Service,” outside Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, the location of the vigil.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Comperatore family,” read a sign outside a nearby credit union.
According to his obituary, Comperatore had previously held positions as a project and tooling engineer, he was an Army reservist, and he had been a volunteer firefighter for many years after serving as fire chief.
During the attempt on Trump’s life on Saturday at the Butler rally, he was hit by a bullet and later passed away. Police also told reporters that Comperatore devoted his last minutes of breath to protecting his wife and daughter from gunshots.
The purpose of the vigil, according to its organizer, Kelly McCollough, was to show the public that the gathering was not political and that the “only thing allowed” was love and support for the Comperatore family.
“Tonight, is about unity,” McCollough said, reiterating Trump’s previous statements related to unifying the U.S. “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.”
One eulogist at the vigil, Dan Ritter, spoke about how he had purchased the victim’s childhood home and how they shared similar values related to faith, family, 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.”
“What made Corey truly extraordinary was his indomitable spirit, unyielding courage, his unflappable optimism,” said a former teacher of his, Mark Wyant, in a written statement that was read by Heidi Powell, a close family friend of Comperatore.
As the crowd lit candles and waved glow sticks, lighters, and cellphones in the air, Comperatore’s favorite song, “I Can Only Imagine,” by Christian rock group MercyMe, played aloud while images of him and his family were displayed on a screen. This marked the end of the vigil.
The other bystander victims of the shooting, James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, and David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, both suffered serious injuries as well during the assassination attempt but “have now been upgraded to serious but stable condition” as of Wednesday night, according to an Allegheny Health Network representative.
Trump reportedly called the victims’ families after the assassination attempt on his life.
“He [Trump] was very kind and said he would continue to call me in the days and weeks ahead,” Helen Comperatore said.
“I told him the same thing I told everyone else. He left this world a hero and God welcomed him in. He did not die in vain that day,” she added.
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