James Copenhaver, Survivor of Trump Rally Shooting, Dies at 76 After Suffering Lasting Injuries
James “Jim” Copenhaver, one of the two spectators seriously wounded during the 2024 assassination attempt against President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died at age 76. His death was announced Thursday, more than two years after he was struck by gunfire at the campaign rally.
Copenhaver was shot twice on July 13, 2024, when gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from the roof of a nearby building at the Butler Farm Show grounds. One bullet struck Copenhaver in the triceps, while another traveled through his abdomen, damaging his colon and leaving him with serious nerve damage.
Copenhaver survived the initial attack but continued dealing with significant medical problems afterward. Reports indicate he underwent multiple surgeries and had bullet fragments remaining in his body. People close to Copenhaver said he never fully recovered from the injuries he suffered that day.
House Republicans announced his passing and offered condolences to his family, saying Copenhaver had endured “unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance.” The Republican Committee of Allegheny County said Copenhaver died Wednesday and remembered him as an elected Republican committeeman from Moon Township.
Copenhaver had previously described the terrifying moments when the shooting began. He recalled standing to look toward a large video screen when he suddenly felt his sleeve move and heard a gunshot. He did not immediately realize he had been struck before another bullet hit him moments later.
The attack also killed 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was struck while attending the rally with his family. Another attendee, David Dutch, was seriously wounded but survived. Trump was struck in his right ear before Secret Service agents surrounded him and removed him from the stage.
Earlier this year, Copenhaver and his wife filed a federal lawsuit against the United States alleging negligence by the Secret Service contributed to the security failures that allowed Crooks to carry out the attack. The lawsuit cited Copenhaver’s permanent injuries and extensive medical treatment. The allegations remain part of pending litigation.
A bipartisan House investigation into the assassination attempt later concluded that the attack was preventable and documented multiple failures involving security planning, communications and coordination. The shooting prompted intense scrutiny of the Secret Service and ultimately contributed to then-Director Kimberly Cheatle’s resignation.
Copenhaver remained publicly connected to the events in Butler in the years after the shooting, occasionally discussing what he experienced and the injuries he continued to endure. His family has requested privacy following his death.
Copenhaver’s death leaves Dutch as the surviving spectator who was wounded by gunfire during the Butler attack. His passing comes more than two years after a shooting that killed Comperatore, seriously injured Copenhaver and Dutch, and wounded Trump during the final months of the 2024 presidential campaign.