Hundreds of people gathered to watch a procession of fire trucks carrying the body of the former fire chief who was killed at Donald Trump‘s rally five days ago.
Corey Comperatore was shot during the attempted assassination by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania over the weekend.
The 50-year-old father had worked as a project and tool technician, was a reservist in the army and, after his service as a commander, was a volunteer firefighter for many years, according to his obituary.
He died a hero, spending his final moments shielding his wife and daughter from the hail of bullets when Trump was hit in the ear Saturday night amid scenes that shook American democracy to its foundations.
Comperatore’s body was transported Thursday in a group of fire trucks decorated with black ribbons through his hometown of Freeport, just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The body of Corey Comperatore was carried in a procession of fire trucks decorated with black ribbons through his hometown of Freeport, just outside Pittsburgh, PA, on Thursday.
Corey Comperatore was shot during the assassination attempt on Trump by gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, at the campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania over the weekend
Dan Beazley unloads a cross to a line of guests during a visit with Corey Comperatore at Laube Hall, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Freeport, Pennsylvania.
Friends and neighbors had lined the lawn along the country road with knee-high American flags in his honor.
The Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department drove its vehicles in somber formation to Laube Hall, where a private service will be held Friday — just about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from where the Trump rally took place.
In the five days since the horrors unfolded, friends and strangers have donated $1.2 million to a fundraising in support of Comperatore’s widow, Helen, and daughter, Allyson.
Helen Comperatore received a phone call from Trump in the days following the devastating loss of her husband. Joe Biden also offered her a phone call, but she declined.
After her phone call with Trump, she wrote on Facebook: “He was very nice and said he would continue to call me in the coming days and weeks.
“I told him the same thing I told everyone. He left this world a hero and God welcomed him. He didn’t 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 staunch Republican and he didn’t want me to talk to him.”
A person arrives to visit Corey Comperatore at Laube Hall, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Freeport, Pennsylvania
Vehicles are parked during a visit to Corey Comperatore at Laube Hall, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Freeport, Pennsylvania
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 bears no “malice” toward the president. “I am not one of those people who meddle in politics,” she said.
“I support Trump, that’s who I vote for, but I have no ill will towards Biden. He didn’t do anything to my husband, a 20-year-old despicable boy did.”
Helen said she and her husband, who were in love in high school, were about to celebrate their 29th wedding anniversary when they went 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 fun day with the family.”
According to local reports, Comperatore’s funeral is scheduled for Friday.
Hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil in Freeport the night before.
In the city’s shopping streets, signs of support have been placed for those who knew Comperatore, and American flags have been raised in his honor.