Shooting victim Corey Comperatore mourned: 'A tragedy that shouldn’t have happened'

FREEPORT, Pa. − Friends and family of Corey Comperatore gathered Thursday at Laube Hall in Freeport, a small town on the Allegheny River, to pay their respects to the volunteer firefighter and father of two who was killed in last weekend's attack on former President Donald Trump.

Members of regional fire departments and their emergency medical services counterparts also joined the public visitation, held under heightened security. Freeport police and Pennsylvania state law enforcement were present, including at least two snipers positioned atop a nearby building and on Laube Hall.

Justin Strycharz, 40, said he drove five hours from Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, to attend the visitation. He described the scene inside the hall as “quiet and respectful.”

A registered independent, Strycharz voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 and said the Saturday shooting in Butler, about 18 miles northwest has solidified his support for the Republican presidential nominee. Politics, though, were not atop of mind Thursday.

“This is a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened,” Strycharz said.

Trump was speaking before throngs of supporters at the Butler Farm Show grounds Saturday when a gunman opened fire from the roof of a nearby building. Trump, his face bloodied, was hustled off the stage by Secret Service personnel. Comperatore , 50, shielded his family from the gunfire and was killed. Two other rallygoers were critically wounded before a sniper fatally shot the gunman.

Funeral services for Comperatore will be held Friday at his longtime Butler County church.

Anatomy of a tragedy: Graphics, maps show how the attack played out

Crooks searched for 'major depressive disorder'

A review of gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks ’ phone by the Federal Bureau of Investigation found he had searched for images of both President Joe Biden and Trump, as well as other famous figures, in the days before the shooting, the New York Times reported Wednesday, citing U.S. lawmakers briefed on the law enforcement investigation. Other search subjects included the FBI director, Christopher Wray; Attorney General Merrick Garland; and a member of the British royal family, according to two officials who spoke to the Times on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter publicly.

Fox News said investigators reviewing Crooks' laptop also found searches for Trump, Biden, when the DNC convention was taking place and the July 13 Trump rally.

Crooks also looked up “major depressive disorder” on his phone, the Times said.

Was online gaming Steam account fake?

Investigators now believe an online gaming account in the name of the man who shot at Trump over the weekend is fake, CNN is reporting, citing a US official briefed on the matter. Multiple media outlets including CNN, Fox News and the Daily Mail reported that Secret Service and FBI officials told U.S. senators during a briefing Wednesday that Crooks posted on Steam the message, "July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds." But the official told CNN the FBI has revised that assessment.

Steam is a popular platform where millions of gamers communicate and gain access to 30,000 games, according to the website. The gaming platform Discord has said Crooks was a user, but the company said it found no evidence Crooks used the platform to "plan this incident, promote violence or discuss his political views.”

Iran denies assassination plot claim: US lawmakers slam Secret Service response

Cheatle hounded at GOP convention

A group of U.S. senators confronted and then chased Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday, demanding answers about the shooting, according to a video posted on social media by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee.

The four-minute-long clip shows a handful of GOP senators peppering Cheatle with questions about gaps in security at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, including one moment when Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, asks: “Why would anyone allow the president to go onstage when you know you’ve got a potential threat?”

Cheatle declined to answer any questions, which came in the hospitality suite for RNC security partners. She told the senators she was “happy to answer questions,” but would “do it in an appropriate format.”

“Resignation or full explanation to us right now,” Barrasso can be heard telling Cheatle in the video. Read more here .

− Karissa Waddick and Savannah Kuchar

Senators chase Secret Service director: Demand answers on Trump shooting

Social media reactions to shooting bring consequences

An instructor at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, was put on unpaid leave over what university officials said was an "offensive and unacceptable social media post." Hours later John James was no longer employed there, the Louisville Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported .

Plenty of people took to social media to make jokes and comments about the shooting, and they're reaping the consequences . A restaurant worker , a fire chief and a political aide are among those who also lost their jobs or resigned after outrage over their posts, according to statements by their employers and news reports. Read more here .

"No matter how private your life is, everybody has an audience," said Karen North, a professor of digital social media at USC and a psychologist. "And there’s always an audience for people misbehaving."

− Jeanine Santucci

People across the nation have lost jobs after posts about Trump shooting

Family of shooting survivor thanks first responders

Wounded rallygoers James Copenhaver, 74, and David Dutch, 57, have been upgraded to serious condition, Allegheny General Hospital said Wednesday. Dutch's family issued a statement thanking the local community and "countless others across the country and world" for the outpouring of support, prayers and well-wishes for the 57-year-old former Marine.

"David and our entire family are especially grateful to all the first responders and medical professionals who saved his life, including the Life Flight and trauma surgical teams at AGH," the statement says. "As we focus on David’s recovery, we also offer our deepest condolences and prayers for the other victims of this tragic event and their families .

Secret Service head 'needs to go': Senators call for ouster after Trump attack briefing

Secret Service director draws criticism

Multiple GOP senators are c alling for new leadership at the Secret Service after Wednesday's briefing on the attack against Trump . "This was a 100% cover-your-ass briefing," Barrasso posted on X. "Someone has died. The President was almost killed. The head of the Secret Service needs to go."

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., said on X that getting new leadership at the Secret Service would be an "important step" toward answers and accountability. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X that "a bunch" of senators raised their hands to ask questions of the Secret Service at the briefing, but the call was cut off after only a few questions.''

"So much smoke and mirrors," Lee said in one post . "So little accountability."

− Tom Vanden Brook, Josh Meyer and Aysha Bagchi

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shooting victim Corey Comperatore mourned: 'A tragedy that shouldn’t have happened'