Trump Rally Shooting Survivor Jim Copenhaver Dies Two Years After Butler Injuries
PITTSBURGH — James “Jim” Copenhaver, one of two men critically wounded in the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died. He was 76.
Copenhaver, of Moon Township, was shot twice—once in the left triceps and once in the abdomen—when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a nearby rooftop. Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief, was killed that day; Trump was grazed in the ear. The second wounded survivor, David Dutch, a Marine veteran, remains alive.
Copenhaver endured a long and difficult recovery. He underwent multiple surgeries, including repair of a traumatic abdominal-wall hernia, laparotomy, and treatment for a transected colon. Bullet fragments remained in his body. He walked with a cane, suffered nerve damage and numbness in his left leg, and could not lie on his stomach. In June 2026 he and Dutch filed a federal lawsuit against the United States alleging a “cascade” of Secret Service failures contributed to their injuries.
News of his death was first reported Thursday by journalist Ken Silva of Headline USA, citing a source close to the family. The official cause has not been released. House Republicans issued a statement: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jim Copenhaver, who was gravely wounded in the horrific shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. Jim endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance.”
Copenhaver, a National Guard veteran, musician and retired grandfather, had spoken publicly about the shooting and the security lapses he believed occurred that day. Trump called his family in the days after the attack. Friends remembered him as a “tough guy” and a “super nice guy” who attended local government meetings and hoped to ride his Harley again.His death, two years after the Butler tragedy, closes another chapter in an event that left lasting physical and emotional scars on those who survived it. 17GEN4.com
Trump Rally Shooting Survivor Jim Copenhaver Dies Two Years After Butler Injuries
James “Jim” Copenhaver, 76, who was shot twice at the July 2024 Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died after living with permanent injuries including remaining bullet fragments. Officials and family mourn the survivor.
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