Firefighter killed at Trump rally honored with bagpipes, gun salute and a bugle sounding taps

CABOT, Pa. (AP) — 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 fell silent as his American flag-draped casket emerged from Cabot Methodist Church. Firefighters ceremoniously removed the flag and presented it to his wife, Helen, before loading the casket onto a fire truck adorned with 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 laid to rest.

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 or Trump representatives among the crowd, which included country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. 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. Five-year-old Ryder Presutti, dressed in a red firefighter's outfit, waved a small American flag as the fire trucks passed by.

Others congregated at Andy’s House of Cars or Cabot Archery to await the funeral procession. Outside the Dollar General store, at least a dozen SUVs were lined up tailgate style, with their trunks open. One resident expressed her feelings with a front yard sign made of giant black letters that read, “American Hero Corey Comperatore.”

“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.

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 and his family attended the Cabot Methodist Church, where their pastor, Jonathan Fehl, presided over the funeral.

On Thursday, thousands of mourners filed into a banquet hall to pay their respects to Comperatore and his family. Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday at a vigil for him at an auto racing track.

Guests at Thursday's visitation for Comperatore saw a slideshow of photos from his life — his wedding, a recent 50th birthday party, time with his daughters, firefighting, fishing, and palling around with his Dobermans. Also on display was a framed copy of a note to Comperatore’s wife signed by Trump and former first lady Melania Trump.

"Corey will forever be remembered as a True American Hero,” the Trumps wrote.

A statement issued Thursday by Comperatore's family described him as a “beloved father and husband, and a friend to so many throughout the Butler region.”

"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," the statement said.

Two other people were wounded at Trump's rally: David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township. As of Wednesday night, both had been upgraded to serious but stable condition, according to a spokesperson with Allegheny Health Network.

The third paragraph has been edited to reflect that it was unclear if Comperatore was to be buried. This story also has been edited to clarify that at least a dozen SUVs were lined up outside Dollar General.

A funeral procession for Corey Comperatore arrives in Freeport, Pa., Friday, July 19, 2024. Comperatore was killed at rally for former President Donald Trump Saturday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

A funeral procession for Corey Comperatore arrives in Freeport, Pa., Friday, July 19, 2024. Comperatore was killed at rally for former President Donald Trump Saturday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

A funeral procession for Corey Comperatore arrives in Freeport, Pa., Friday, July 19, 2024. Comperatore was killed at rally for former President Donald Trump Saturday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

A funeral procession for Corey Comperatore arrives in Freeport, Pa, Friday, July 19, 2024. Comperatore was killed at rally for former President Donald Trump Saturday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Merri Cambo, left, of Saxonburg, Pa., and her friend, Jane Wesolosky, of Buffalo, Pa., react as the funeral procession for Corey Comperatore passes by, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

A firefighter stages before the funeral procession for Corey Comperatore, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

A rider and firefighting truck stage for the funeral procession for Corey Comperatore, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

A firetruck stages for the funeral procession of Corey Comperatore, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The funeral procession for Corey Comperatore passes, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The funeral procession for Corey Comperatore passes, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Merri Cambo, left, of Saxonburg, Pa., and her friend, Jane Wesolosky, of Buffalo, Pa., react as the funeral procession for Corey Comperatore passes by, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The funeral procession for Corey Comperatore passes, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

A flag is seen before the funeral procession for Corey Comperatore, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The funeral procession for Corey Comperatore passes, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The funeral procession for Corey Comperatore passes, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

People wait for the funeral procession for Corey Comperatore, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Jane Wesolosky, of Buffalo, Pa., waves a flag as the funeral procession for Corey Comperatore passes, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Sarver, Pa. Comperatore, a former fire chief, was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

A giant American flag is unfurled outside the Cabot Church, in Cabot, Pa., Friday, July 19, 2024, before the funeral service for Buffalo Township Volunteer fireman Corey Comeratore, who was killed at a Pennsylvania rally for Donald Trump, Saturday, July 13, 2024. Corey Comperatore's quick decision to use his body as a shield against the bullets flying toward his wife and daughter rang true to the close friends and neighbors who loved and respected the proud 50-year-old Trump supporter, noting that the Butler County resident was a "man of conviction." (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pennsylvania State Police arrive at the Cabot Church, in Cabot, Pa., Friday, July 19, 2024, before the funeral service for Buffalo Township Volunteer fireman Corey Comeratore, who was killed at a Pennsylvania rally for Donald Trump, Saturday, July 13, 2024. Corey Comperatore's quick decision to use his body as a shield against the bullets flying toward his wife and daughter rang true to the close friends and neighbors who loved and respected the proud 50-year-old Trump supporter, noting that the Butler County resident was a "man of conviction.". (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado tried to reassure supporters Monday that her coalition still hopes to gain control of the presidency despite the departure into exile of their candidate Edmundo González Urrutia.

Machado's group maintains that it has evidence that González won the July 28 presidential election by a wide margin against Venezuela's authoritarian incumbent president, Nicolás Maduro, despite his claim to have won.

Machado told an online meeting Monday of opposition leaders, reporters and others that her group still hopes to see Maduro leave office in January, even if for voters those hopes seem increasingly tenuous since González’s decision to flee into exile to Spain over the weekend.

She said the former diplomat could fulfill the role of opposition candidate “with much greater protection and security” from abroad. She herself has gone into hiding in the weeks since the election, while Maduro's government has arrested more than 2,000 people and cracked down on demonstrations throughout the country protesting the election results.

“Nothing has changed,” she insisted from an undisclosed location in Venezuela.

González, 75, landed Sunday at a military airport near Madrid, accompanied by his wife and Spanish officials. His departure was announced late Saturday by Venezuela’s government, which days earlier had ordered his arrest.

González had not been seen publicly since the week after the vote, when he and Machado announced not only that their campaign had obtained vote tallies from over two-thirds of the electronic voting machines used in the election but also that they had published them online to show the world that Maduro had lost the contest.

Their assertions stunned supporters and critics alike, because the National Electoral Council had declared Maduro the winner hours after polls closed, giving him a third six-year term set to begin on Jan. 10. The panel, stacked with ruling party loyalists, never released detailed vote tallies to support Maduro’s claim to victory.

González had never run for office before the presidential election. The leadership of the Unitary Platform opposition coalition chose him as candidate after the government banned Machado from running for office and did not allow her hand-picked successor to register for the contest.

Machado became his key surrogate, and they campaigned together.

González said in a statement Monday that he is not motived by “personal ambition." He wrote that he remains committed to “the realization of the popular will,” but he did not explain how he intends to continue to work toward that goal.

“My commitment is not based on personal ambition, this decision is a gesture that reaches out to everyone, and I hope that it will be reciprocated as such,” González said.

Machado told reporters that González is “Venezuela’s president-elect” regardless of his location and will remain so “until the day he is sworn in as president.” She did not offer any details of the strategy that could lead to that result.

Experts from the United Nations and the Carter Center, which at the invitation of Maduro’s government observed the election, determined the results announced by electoral authorities lacked credibility.

In a statement critical of the election, the U.N. experts stopped short of validating the opposition’s claim to victory, but they said the faction’s voting records published online appear to exhibit all of the original security features.

Supporters of Edmundo González wait for his arrival outside the Torrejón Air Base in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. Former Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has fled into exile after being granted asylum in Spain, delivering a major blow to millions who placed their hopes in his upstart campaign to end two decades of single-party rule. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)

Carolina, the daughter of Edmundo González, is photographed traveling inside a car as she leaves the Torrejón Air Base in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. Former Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has fled into exile after being granted asylum in Spain, delivering a major blow to millions who placed their hopes in his upstart campaign to end two decades of single-party rule. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado displays vote tally sheets during a protest against the reelection of President Nicolás Maduro one month after the disputed presidential vote which she says the opposition won by a landslide, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)

FILE - Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez waves to supporters during a political event at a square in the Hatillo municipality of Caracas, Venezuela, June 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

Supporters of Edmundo González gather outside the Torrejón Air Base in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. Former Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has fled into exile after being granted asylum in Spain, delivering a major blow to millions who placed their hopes in his upstart campaign to end two decades of single-party rule. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)