Butler Trump rally shooting survivor James Copenhaver dies at 76
James Copenhaver, who was seriously injured during the July 2024 assassination attempt against Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died at 76. A cause of death was not announced.
Copenhaver died on Wednesday surrounded by loved ones, according to a statement from family attorney Joseph A. Feldman shared by Ken Silva, author of “The Trump Assassination Plots.” The statement did not say whether his death was related to injuries from the July 13, 2024, shooting.
Copenhaver was struck in the left arm and abdomen while sitting in the bleachers near Trump’s podium. He underwent numerous surgeries and continued to suffer lasting effects from his wounds.
In testimony published in Silva’s book, Copenhaver described how he and others had initially gone to sit directly in front of the podium, but a staff member told them they lacked the required wristbands. They were allowed to move to the bleachers instead.
“Our move turned out to be nearly fatal,” Copenhaver wrote.
He ended up two seats away from David Dutch, who was also injured in the attack. Copenhaver began taking pictures and recording video shortly after 6 p.m., unknowingly capturing the gunman on the roof of the nearby AGR building before the shooting.
“Seemingly out of nowhere, I was shot in my left triceps,” he wrote. “I turned to Randy and said, ‘I think I have been shot,’ when I was then hit a second time in my left abdomen.”
According to a lawsuit filed against the U.S. government in June, Copenhaver underwent operations involving his abdomen and colon, along with repairs to other injuries, Headline USA reported. The outlet said bullet fragments remained in his body at the time of his death.
The attack killed rallygoer Corey Comperatore and injured Copenhaver, Dutch and Trump, who was injured in the ear. The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot and killed by the Secret Service.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
