CABOT, Pa. (EYT) — Family, friends, and firefighters gathered Friday morning at a private funeral service at Cabot Church to honor Corey Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter who lost his life while protecting his family during a Donald Trump rally in Butler, PA on July 13.
A public service, attended by thousands, was held on Thursday at Laube Hall in Freeport.
A funeral procession, featuring dozens of firefighters and first responders from various departments along with Patriot Guard riders, began from the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department, where he served, leading to Cabot Church for the private service. Comperatore’s casket was carried on a fire truck.
The procession stretched several miles, with community members and strangers alike standing along the route, paying their respects to a man whose bravery and dedication touched many lives. “I was actually with Corey when it happened. I was eight feet away from him, and that’s another reason I’m here to get a little closure. Me and my granddaughter were there,” Thomas Somma of Robinson Station 244 in Groveton told WTAE.
Comperatore’s heroism during the tragic event at the Trump rally has been widely recognized. As gunfire erupted, he shielded his family from the bullets, sacrificing his life.
Former President Donald Trump displayed Comperatore’s firefighting helmet and jacket on stage during his speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday night. “He lost his life selflessly acting as a human shield to protect them from flying bullets,” said Trump. “He went right over the top of them and was hit. What a fine man he was.”
Trump called for a moment of silence to honor Comperatore.
“He was a wonderful asset to the company, to his family, to the department. I don’t have the words. I’m speechless on what an astonishing young man he was,” said Andria Crawford of the Murrysville Fire Department in an interview with WTAE.
“His courage was not the loud and boisterous kind; it was the courage of quiet resilience, the strength to be vulnerable, and the bravery to lead with love,” said Comperatore’s obituary. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro echoed the sentiment when he called him “the very best of us.”
An online fundraiser for Comperatore’s family has raised over $1 million.
Born on June 16, 1974, in Natrona Heights, PA, Comperatore was a proud graduate of Freeport High School and served as a 10-year veteran of the United States Army Reserve. Professionally, he was a project and tooling engineer. He was an active member at Cabot Church. In the early 2000s, he served as chief of the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department.
The attempted assassination of Donald Trump that claimed Comperatore’s life also left two other rally attendees, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, critically injured. Trump himself was wounded, with a bullet piercing his right ear. The suspected gunman, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service agents.