'He was my hero': Hundreds honor Corey Comperatore at Pennsylvania memorial service

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."

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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.

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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.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Corey Comperatore memorial service: Hundreds honor friend, 'hero'