Mourners descend on shifting vigil for firefighter killed at Trump rally
Hundreds of people have gathered to watch a concierge of fire trucks transporting the body of the former fire chief who was killed at Donald Trump‘s rally five days ago.
Corey Comperatore was shot during the assassination attempt by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, at the Butler, Pennsylvania campaign event over the weekend.
The 50-year-old father 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 a hero, spending the final moments of his life shielding his wife and daughter from the barrage of bullets as Trump was struck in the ear amid scenes which rocked American democracy to the core on Saturday evening.
Comperatore’s body was transported in a concierge of fire trucks adorned with black ribbons through his hometown of Freeport, just outside Pittsburgh, PA, on Thursday.
Corey Comperatore’s body was transported in a concierge of fire trucks adorned with black ribbons through his hometown of Freeport, just outside Pittsburgh, PA, on Thursday
Corey Comperatore was shot during the Trump assassination attempt by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks , 20, at the Butler, Pennsylvania campaign event over the weekend
Dan Beazley unloads a cross near a line of guests at a visitation for Corey Comperatore at Laube Hall, Thursday, July 18,2024, in Freeport, Pa
Friends and neighbors had lined the grass beside the country road with knee-high American flags in his honor.
The Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department drove the vehicles somberly in formation to Laube Hall, where a private service will be held on Friday – only around 20 miles from where the Trump rally took place.
In the five days since the horror unfolded, friends and strangers have donated $1.2 million to a fundraiser supporting Comperatore’s widow, Helen, and daughter, Allyson.
Helen Comperatore received a call from Trump in the days after the devastating loss of her husband – and she was offered a call from Joe Biden too but refused it.
Writing on Facebook after her call with Trump, she said: ‘He was very kind and said he would continue to call me in the days and weeks ahead.
‘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.’
‘I don’t talk to Biden,’ she later told the New York Post. ‘I didn’t want to talk to him.
‘My husband was a devout Republican and he would not have wanted me to talk to him.’
A person arrives to a visitation for Corey Comperatore at Laube Hall, Thursday, July 18,2024, in Freeport, Pa
Vehicles are parked at a visitation for Corey Comperatore at Laube Hall, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Freeport, Pa
A memorial for Corey Comperatore is seen on a billboard at the Penn Theater in Butler, PA., Thursday, July 18, 2024
She added that she has no ‘ill-will’ towards the president. ‘I’m not one of those people that gets involved in politics,’ she said.
‘I support Trump, that’s who I’m voting for, but I don’t have any ill-will towards Biden. He didn’t do anything to my husband, a 20-year-old despicable kid did.’
Helen said she and her husband, who were high school sweethearts, were on the verge of celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary when they headed to Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
‘Me and the kids were all there as a family,’ she said. ‘He was just excited. It was going to be a nice day with the family.’
Comperatore’s funeral is scheduled for Friday, according to local reports.
Hundreds of people also attended a candle-lit vigil the night before in Freeport.
Commercial buildings in the town have been decorated with messages of support for those who knew Comperatore, and American flags have been raised in his honor.
