James Copenhaver, one of the three people shot during the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died. He was 76.
Copenhaver passed away on Wednesday at Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn hospital in Pittsburgh, according to the Allegheny county medical examiner. His lawyer, Joseph Feldman, confirmed the news in a statement, noting that Copenhaver died surrounded by his family. The statement did not explicitly confirm if his passing was a direct result of the injuries sustained during the rally.
The background
During the July 2024 rally, a 20-year-old shooter opened fire from a rooftop, striking Trump and three attendees in the bleachers. While Trump survived with a graze to his right ear, attendee Corey Comperatore was killed while protecting his family, and David Dutch was also wounded.
Copenhaver was hit in the arm and abdomen. His injuries were serious, requiring multiple surgeries to address a transected colon and long-term issues like kidney damage and a loss of sensation in his leg. He had been using a cane to walk since the incident.
Why it matters
Earlier this year, Copenhaver and his wife, Marianne, filed a lawsuit against the federal government. They alleged that the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security "utterly failed" to secure the event, describing his injuries as "debilitating, grievous, permanent and life altering." The loss of another victim of this tragedy is hitting the community hard, and it’s giving a somber reminder of the lasting fallout from that day.
