James Copenhaver, one of three campaign rally attendees shot in 2024 during an assassination attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died at age 76. He was attending the event on July 13, 2024, when a 20-year-old gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop. The gunfire struck Trump's right ear and hit Copenhaver in the arm and abdomen.
Copenhaver died Wednesday at Allegheny Health Network's West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said Copenhaver died from complications stemming from the wounds he suffered during the shooting.
Copenhaver had been injured in a way that required multiple surgeries, including surgery after his colon was damaged. He also suffered kidney damage and nerve damage. He walked with a cane and suffered long-term effects from the attack, including loss of feeling in his leg.
Two other attendees were also shot during the event — David Dutch, who survived, and Corey Comperatore, who died while shielding his family. Copenhaver’s lawyer, Joseph Feldman, said that Copenhaver passed away surrounded by loved ones. The family statement did not clarify whether his death was directly caused by the injuries he suffered at the rally.
Copenhaver and his wife, Marianne, sued the federal government in June, claiming that the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security failed to provide adequate security. David Dutch and his wife also filed a lawsuit over the shooting.
The lawsuits allege that security failures allowed gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks to reach a rooftop with a clear view of the rally stage. A bipartisan House task force that investigated the attack later found serious failures in planning and coordination surrounding security at the event.
The family described Copenhaver as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and veteran who embodied hard work and integrity. He had served in the U.S. military and later worked for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
President Donald Trump praised Copenhaver as a patriot who continued to fight despite suffering. Trump posted on Truth Social that Copenhaver’s death was a tremendous loss and praised his courage and positive spirit.
Copenhaver and Dutch had spoken publicly about the shooting before Copenhaver's death. Copenhaver recalled hearing the shots and initially not realizing that he had been hit. He said he realized what had happened after he was struck a second time.
The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper team after the attack. Crooks was 20 years old at the time of the shooting.
The July 2024 attack led to intense scrutiny of the Secret Service and other agencies responsible for protecting the rally. The agency's director at the time, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned after the shooting as lawmakers investigated how Crooks was able to fire from a nearby rooftop.
Copenhaver's death more than two years after the attack adds another loss connected to the Butler rally. Comperatore died at the scene while Copenhaver and Dutch survived with serious injuries.