CABOT, Pa. (news agencies) — The keen of bagpipes, a three-volley gun salute and a bugle sounding taps pierced the air of a small Pennsylvania town on Friday as hundreds gathered to honor an ex-fire chief who was shot and killed at a rally for former President Donald Trump.
Following funeral services for Corey Comperatore, large crowds of mourners waiting outside the Cabot Methodist Church fell silent as firefighters loaded his flag-draped casket onto a fire truck draped in black bunting.
Three firefighters stood sentry on the back of the truck, trailed by more than 100 other emergency vehicles from fire departments across the region as it rolled slowly toward Comperatore’s hometown of Freeport, where he was to be buried.
A sharpshooter team mounted on a nearby rooftop served as a reminder of last weekend’s bloodshed. Officials have said that Comperatore spent his final moments shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire at Trump’s rally last Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump, who suffered an ear injury in the shooting but was not seriously hurt, did not attend the funeral because of Secret Service concerns, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Annette Locke, a member of the West Deer Township Volunteer Fire Department, stood across the road from the church and lightly touched her heart as she spoke about the horrific toll from the “totally senseless” shooting.
“He was with his family on a beautiful sunny day, and now he’s gone,” Locke said.
Joe and Jen Brose stood at the edge of their driveway with their three young boys, all dressed in T-shirts celebrating the USA, watching the long procession, which took a full half-hour to pass.
“The community comes together at times like this,” Joe Brose said.
“I thought it was very heartwarming, it was very humbling to see it,” said Jen Brose, whose sister had attended the Trump rally.
Trump honored Comperatore during his speech Thursday night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. He displayed Comperatore’s firefighting gear on the convention stage, kissing his helmet and heralding the ex-chief as “an unbelievable person.”
Mike Drane, who lives near the church where the funeral was held, said he was overwhelmed by Trump’s tribute.
“Trump knew that that bullet was for him, not for Corey,” Drane said.
Nancy Macurdy, who lives across the street from the church, was away camping when the shooting happened but wanted to be back home for the funeral.
“We’re a very close community here,” she said.
A woman who was inside the church for the funeral service said Comperatore’s wife and daughters delivered testimonies, and the church’s pastor read a eulogy written by one of Comperatore’s siblings. The woman, who declined to be quoted by name, said she did not recognize any politicians, notable people or Trump representatives inside the church. The service was closed to the news media.
In nearby Sarver, the town where Comperatore lived, families took the day off from work or changed other plans to gather along the community’s main artery. Bands of young boys stood by the roadway, signaling for trucks to honk their horns. One small boy dressed in a red firefighter’s outfit stood waving an American flag as the fire trucks passed by.
Others congregated at Andy’s House of Cars, Cabot Archery and Advance Auto Parts and Dollar General to await the funeral procession. About a half-dozen people lined up their SUVs tailgate style, with their trunks open.
“It’s a very heartbreaking situation,” said Daneene Wimer, 44, of Evans City, near where the shooting took place. She and her sisters came with their families to honor “somebody who put their life in their hands for their family.”
“I will definitely be shedding tears (when the procession passes),” she said.
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