Thousands gather at banquet hall to celebrate life of former fire chief killed at Trump rally

FREEPORT, Pa. (AP) — Thousands of mourners filed into a Pennsylvania banquet hall Thursday to remember the former fire chief who was fatally shot during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally.

Fire trucks and police vehicles filled the parking lot outside the building where friends of Corey Comperatore went to pay their respects to him and his family.

Sharpshooters were positioned on top of the event hall and on nearby buildings as dozens of people waited in line to enter. Among the mourners were firefighters in dress uniforms and a group of five men in black suits with gold, red and blue “Trump 2024” buttons on their lapels.

Comperatore, 50, 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 spent the final moments of his life shielding his wife and daughter from gunfire, officials said.

Trump suffered an ear injury but was not seriously hurt and has been participating this week in the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Mourners filled Laube Hall, a space with white brick walls, white linens, white curtains and exposed wooden beams that’s normally used for weddings and other celebratory occasions.

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