By Michael Sisak
Associated Press
SARVER, Pa. 鈥� Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday to remember the former fire chief shot and killed at a in a rural area of Pennsylvania shaken by violence perpetrated by a local 20-year-old man.
Outside Lernersville Speedway in Sarvar, Pennsylvania, where the vigil was being held for Corey Comperatore, a sign read: 鈥淩est in Peace Corey, Thank You For Your Service,鈥� with the logo of his fire company.
On the rural road to the auto racing track 鈥� lined with cornfields, churches and industrial plants 鈥� a sign outside a local credit union reads: 鈥淥ur thoughts and prayers are with the Comperatore family.鈥�
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 .
He died Saturday during an at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
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.
鈥淭onight is about unity,鈥� McCollough said. 鈥淲e 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.鈥�
Dan Ritter, who gave a eulogy, said he bought Comperatore鈥檚 childhood home in 1993 鈥� sparking a friendship that grew with their shared values of family, Christian faith and politics.
鈥淐orey loved his family and was always spending time with them,鈥� Ritter said. 鈥淭his 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鈥檚 a true hero for us all.鈥�
Jeff Lowers of the Freeport Fire Department trained with Comperatore and at the vigil said Comperatore always had a smile on his face.
Afterward, Heidi Powell, a family friend, read remarks from Comperatore鈥檚 high school economics teacher, who could not attend Wednesday鈥檚 vigil.
鈥淲hat made Corey truly extraordinary was his indomitable spirit, unyielding courage, his unflappable optimism,鈥� the teacher, Mark Wyant, wrote.
Comperatore鈥檚 pastor, Jonathan Fehl of Cabot Methodist Church in Cabot, Pennsylvania, said the killed man鈥檚 family 鈥渉as been humbled by the way this community has rallied around them,鈥� and by the support they鈥檝e received from people around the world.
Before the rally, Comperatore had posted on social media that he had gotten upgraded seats at the event, according to Collin Burke. The 27-year-old lived next door to Comperatore while growing up and had previously volunteered at the firehouse with him.
Hearing about the shooting prompted Burke to send Comperatore a message asking if he was OK.
Comperatore never responded.
鈥淚t crushed me,鈥� Burke said Wednesday of Comperatore鈥檚 death.
Burke said he planned to attend a private funeral nearby on Friday. The public was also invited to pay their respects at a visitation starting Thursday afternoon at Laube Hall in Freeport, Pennsylvania.
As a child, Burke rode the same school bus with Comperatore鈥檚 daughters. He remembered Comperatore as having the best lawn on the block, owning two beautiful Dobermans and fishing for bass in his free time.
He described Comperatore as a Trump supporter 鈥渢hrough and through鈥� and also as a 鈥渧ery neighborly person.鈥�
The vigil concluded with people in the crowd lighting candles and raising cellphones, glow sticks and lighters in Comperatore鈥檚 honor as his favorite song 鈥� 鈥淚 Can Only Imagine鈥� by Christian rock band MercyMe 鈥� played while pictures of him and his family were shown on a screen.
Two other people were injured at the rally: David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Both had been upgraded to serious but stable condition as of Wednesday night, a spokesperson with Allegheny Health Network said.
but was not seriously hurt and has been participating this week in the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.