Current:Home > Invest'He was my hero': Hundreds honor Corey Comperatore at Pennsylvania memorial service -RiskWatch
'He was my hero': Hundreds honor Corey Comperatore at Pennsylvania memorial service
View
Date:2025-04-17 06:04:09
FREEPORT, Pa. — Luke Bondra never met Corey Comperatore. Still, he drove 30 minutes from New Kensington, Pennsylvania, to pay his respects to the man who died shielding his family from a would-be assassin's bullets that were aimed at former President Donald Trump during a rally Saturday.
Bondra, 42, and his grade school-aged daughter were also at the Saturday rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, roughly 100 yards from the sniper team that killed the shooter, later identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks.
"I heard a 'pop pop pop' and hit the ground," he said. "I'm still shaken. My daughter was scared."
He was one of hundreds of people who drove minutes or hours to offer condolences to Comperatore's family and friends at the Laube Hall memorial service Thursday set in the wooded Freeport Community Park. Police departments, emergency medical services, and fire departments from Pennsylvania were also present.
Local law enforcement dotted the community park, directing traffic to and from the parking lot outside Laube Hall. A team of snipers were seen atop a utility building near the memorial and on Laube Hall.
Comperatore family issues statement
Comperatore's family released a statement Thursday describing the 50-year-old father and husband as a loving and caring man who put his family and faith above all else.
He worked as a volunteer firefighter for the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department and was a local leader and former fire chief.
"Our family is finding comfort and peace through the heartfelt messages of encouragement from people around the world, through the support of our church and community, and most of all, through the strength of God," they said. "We thank the countless people who have prayed for us throughout the past week."
Hero. Firefighter. Trump supporter:What will Corey Comperatore's death mean?
Visitation was 'quiet' and 'respectful'
Justin Strycharz drove five hours from Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, to attend the visitation. Though he never knew Comperatore, Strycharz, 40, said he felt it was important to show his support.
Strycharz described the scene inside Laube Hall as "very quiet and respectful." The memorial featured dozens of photos of Comperatore as people who knew him shared stories.
Strycharz said he was disappointed with security at the Saturday rally where Comperatore was killed.
"I was already upset about what happened before I knew who died," Strycharz said after leaving the visitation. "This was a tragedy that shouldn't have happened."
Strycharz identifies as an Independent but voted for Gary Johnson in 2016 and Andrew Yang in 2020. The assassination attempt, he said, solidified his support of Trump.
"I will definitely vote for him in November," he added.
'You owe the people answers':Senators chase Secret Service director at RNC, demand answers on Trump shooting
Cousin, childhood friend attend memorial
Cindy Villella, 58, walked with her husband up a shaded hill toward Laube Hall, where her cousin Helen Comperatore greeted mourners and well-wishers alongside her family and friends.
They had just driven 35 minutes from Plum, Pennsylvania, and hoped to meet with family members they hadn't seen since the last holiday gathering. "We wanted to offer our condolences," she said.
Villella and her husband did not attend the Trump rally, but when a friend told her about the shooting, she later turned on the news and saw her cousin.
"I turned on the TV and said, 'Oh my God, that's my cousin,'" she recalled. "The family, we are still in shock."
Hours later, Ryan Smith walked up the road to the hall. Corey Comperatore was his childhood friend, he said.
"I met him when I was 4 years old. We had no brothers, so we were very close," Smith said. "He was my hero."
He said seeing Comperatore's family will be like seeing his second family. He grew up with Comperatore's sisters. Comperatore's mother was his second mother, he said.
veryGood! (248)
Related
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- Highly pathogenic avian flu detected at Alabama chicken farm, nearly 48K birds killed
- Succession star Alan Ruck crashes into Hollywood pizza restaurant
- Iowa vs. Northwestern at Wrigley Field produced fewer points than 6 Cubs games there this year
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- These Celebrity Bromances Will Brighten Your Weekend
- Women’s lawsuit accuses Kansas City, Kansas, of allowing police corruption to thrive for years
- A muted box office weekend without ‘Dune: Part Two’
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Colorado football players get back some items stolen from Rose Bowl locker room
Ranking
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- Tom Sandoval Reveals the Real Reason He Doesn't Have His Infamous Lightning Bolt Necklace
- Putin revokes Russia's ratification of nuclear test ban treaty
- Chelsea’s Emma Hayes expected to become US women’s soccer coach, AP source says
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- Ukraine minister says he wants to turn his country into a weapons production hub for the West
- How a Texas teacher helped students use their imaginations to take flight
- Kyle Richards Reveals Holidays Plans Amid Mauricio Umansky Separation
Recommendation
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
Proof Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's Family of 9 Is the Most Interesting to Look At
Women’s lawsuit accuses Kansas City, Kansas, of allowing police corruption to thrive for years
Mahomes throws 2 TDs and Chiefs hang on to beat Dolphins 21-14 in Germany
Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
Jason Aldean says he stands by controversial Try That in a Small Town: I know what the intentions were
A woman and 3 children are killed by an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon, local officials say
Why does Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You' end 'Priscilla,' about Elvis' ex-wife?