James Copenhaver, shot at 2024 Trump rally in Butler, dies at 76

A Moon Township, Pennsylvania, man who was among three spectators wounded in the 2024 attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump's life at a Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign rally has died. James Copenhaver, 76, passed away Wednesday at a Pittsburgh hospital after more than two years living with what his family's attorney described as 'debilitating, grievous, permanent and life altering' wounds.

According to the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner, Copenhaver died at Allegheny Health Network's West Penn hospital. The cause and manner of death remain pending, and whether his injuries from the shooting directly contributed to his death has not been confirmed.

Throughout that difficult time, James faced every challenge with the same strength and resolve that defined his life, and the kindness shown by so many brought great comfort to him and to those who love him.— Joseph Feldman, attorney for the Copenhaver family

Copenhaver was in the bleachers at the Butler rally on July 13, 2024, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, opened fire from the roof of a nearby building. Crooks fired up to eight shots before a Secret Service sharpshooter killed him. Copenhaver was struck in the arm and abdomen, according to The Guardian. His injuries required multiple surgeries, including a transection of his colon, and left him with lingering kidney damage, nerve damage, and a loss of feeling in his leg — walking with a cane in the months that followed.

Trump was grazed in the right ear. Of the three attendees struck by gunfire, firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed at the scene while shielding his family. Former Marine David Dutch was shot in the chest and liver and was initially placed in a medically induced coma, but survived. Copenhaver's death means only Dutch remains alive among those hit.

Last June, Copenhaver and his wife Marianne took legal action in federal court against the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security, with the suit alleging the agencies had 'utterly failed' to provide appropriate security at the rally. Filed together with Dutch, the lawsuit contended that the government was liable for a series of alleged security breakdowns — among them poor inter-agency communication, ignored warning signs, and a failure to secure the rooftop Thomas Matthew Crooks used as a firing position. The lawsuit described the government's conduct as '100% negligence' and sought compensatory damages. It remains pending in Pennsylvania federal court.

Through attorney Feldman, Copenhaver's family described him as a 'devoted husband, father, and grandfather' and a military veteran whose 'dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life.'

Jim showed tremendous bravery, courageously continuing to FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, and maintaining a positive spirit despite unimaginable hardships.— Donald Trump, U.S. President

In a Thursday social media statement, Trump referred to Copenhaver as 'a true American Patriot,' calling his death 'a tremendous loss' and adding that his 'indelible legacy of love and devotion will forever endure.'

The political violence that occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024 is never okay. I said it at the time in Butler and I say it again today: we all have a responsibility to take down the temperature, rise above hateful rhetoric, and search for a brighter future for this nation.— Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania

House Republicans also issued a statement Thursday, saying Copenhaver 'endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance' and joining his family in mourning. The pending federal lawsuit — and the unresolved question of whether his injuries ultimately caused his death — means the legal and medical aftermath of the Butler shooting is not yet closed.

Why it matters — Copenhaver's death — more than two years after the Butler shooting — extends the human toll of the 2024 assassination attempt and keeps alive a pending federal lawsuit over Secret Service security failures that day.

Reported by abcnews.com, theguardian.com, washingtonsun.com