Man Who Was Shot During Trump Assassination Attempt Passes Away

James “Jim” Copenhaver, one of the spectators seriously wounded during the 2024 assassination attempt against President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died at age 76. Copenhaver was among three rally attendees struck by gunfire on July 13, 2024, when Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a rooftop near the Butler Farm Show grounds.

Trump was wounded during the attack, while 50-year-old Corey Comperatore was killed. Copenhaver and fellow attendee David Dutch suffered serious injuries. News of Copenhaver’s death emerged Thursday, September 24. His cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.

Journalist Ken Silva was among the first to publicly report the news. “I’ve got very sad news: Jim Copenhaver, who was shot at the Butler Trump rally on July 13, 2024, has died,”

Silva wrote. “I don’t have many details at this point, but it’s no secret that Jim was dealing with permanent injuries from Butler—including having bullet fragments still inside of him. RIP Jim.”

Copenhaver was 74 when the shooting occurred. He was struck twice, suffering gunshot wounds to his left triceps and abdomen.

Remember Jim Copenhaver — Photo Gallery

His injuries required extensive medical treatment and multiple surgeries. Bullet fragments reportedly remained in his body after the attack. Copenhaver was initially taken to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he received treatment before eventually recovering enough to return home. He later spoke publicly about the shooting and recalled the moment he realized he had been struck by gunfire.

“I think I was shot,” Copenhaver remembered thinking after noticing damage to his clothing.

A video from James Copenhaver, one of the victims critically wounded in the assassination attempt against President Trump, shows a figure moving across the roof of the building just minutes before gunfire rang out.

Second shooter?
Third shooter?

The person appears on the roof… pic.twitter.com/nY9mgqIq0D

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) July 31, 2024

In the months that followed, Copenhaver became an outspoken survivor of the Butler attack and raised questions about security preparations for the event.

He and Dutch eventually filed separate lawsuits against the federal government, alleging that negligence by the U.S. Secret Service contributed to the security failures that allowed the gunman to fire on the rally.

Their wives also joined the litigation.

A bipartisan House task force investigating the attack later identified numerous shortcomings in the planning and execution of security at the rally.

Before the shooting, Copenhaver had retired from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and was involved in local issues in Moon Township.

Despite the lasting impact of his injuries, he publicly expressed a desire to return to everyday life.

Among his goals was getting back on his Harley-Davidson and riding again with a longtime friend.

Following the attack, Copenhaver’s family expressed gratitude to first responders, doctors and hospital staff who helped care for him. The family also said he was praying for Trump and the other victims.

Comperatore, a former volunteer fire chief, was killed while protecting his family during the gunfire.

Local reporting said he died at AHN West Penn Hospital.

House Republicans issued a statement Thursday mourning Copenhaver’s death, saying they were “deeply saddened” and noting the hardships he endured following the Butler shooting.

Copenhaver’s death comes more than two years after an attack that triggered extensive investigations into how an armed gunman was able to reach a nearby rooftop and fire at a presidential campaign rally.

His cause of death remains unclear, and authorities have not announced that the wounds he suffered in Butler were responsible for his passing.