Hundreds Gather to Honor Fire Chief Shot at Trump Rally

Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday to remember the former fire chief shot and killed at a weekend rally for Donald Trump. Outside Lernersville Speedway in Sarvar, Pennsylvania, where the vigil was being held for Corey Comperatore, a sign read: "Rest in Peace Corey, Thank You For Your Service," with the logo of his fire company, the AP reports. On the rural road to the auto racing track—lined with cornfields, churches, and industrial plants—a sign outside a local credit union reads: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Comperatore family."

Comperatore, 50, 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 Saturday during an attempt to kill Trump at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Comperatore spent the final moments of his life shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire, officials said. Vigil organizer Kelly McCollough told the crowd Wednesday the vigil was not an event of a political nature, adding that there was no room for hate or personal opinions other than an outpouring of support for the Comperatore family.

"Tonight is about unity," McCollough said. "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."

• Dan Ritter, who gave a eulogy, said he bought Comperatore's childhood home in 1993—sparking a friendship that grew with their shared values of family, Christian faith 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."
• Comperatore's pastor, Jonathan Fehl of Cabot Methodist Church in Cabot, Pennsylvania, said the killed man's family "has been humbled by the way this community has rallied around them," and by the support they've received from people around the world.

(More Trump rally shooting stories.)