James Copenhaver, Wounded in 2024 Trump Rally Shooting, Dies at 76
James Copenhaver, one of the men wounded during the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died, his family said through an attorney Thursday. He was 76.
Copenhaver died Wednesday at a hospital, according to the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner. The office did not disclose his cause of death.
A veteran described by his family as a devoted husband, father and grandfather, Copenhaver was surrounded by loved ones when he died, said Joseph Feldman, an attorney for the family.
“His family was the center of his world, and he was the center of theirs,” Feldman said.
Trump remembered Copenhaver as “a true American Patriot” who “stood united in defense of our own shared values of Freedom, Liberty and Justice.”
“His indelible legacy of love and devotion will forever endure. Our hearts and prayers are with the Copenhaver family, especially his incredible wife Marianne,” the president said in a Truth Social post Thursday evening.
The shooting unfolded on July 13, 2024, as Trump spoke onstage at a rally attended by thousands in Butler. A gunman positioned on a nearby roof opened fire. Trump, wounded in the ear, was rushed offstage with blood on his face.
Copenhaver, of Moon Township, and another man seated at the far end of the bleachers to Trump’s left were seriously injured. Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old attendee, was killed. The attack became one of the most scrutinized security failures in decades, prompting investigations into the Secret Service’s planning and renewed debate over political violence in the United States.
Nearly a year after the shooting, Copenhaver told CNN affiliate KDKA that he did not realize at first that he had been shot. “I turned around and that’s when I got the second shot,” he said. The second shot, he recalled, hit flesh rather than bone and felt “like a jolt, but it didn’t knock me over. But I didn’t want to stand anymore either.”
Copenhaver, then 74, was taken to Allegheny General Hospital, where his family said at the time that he was in critical but stable condition. He was released about two weeks later and told KDKA that a bullet tore into his triceps while another remained lodged in his body, leaving him with nerve damage. He later used a cane as a result of his injuries.
“James’s dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life,” Feldman said in a statement on behalf of the family. “As a veteran, he proudly served our nation in the armed forces, and his love of country never wavered. James was a true American patriot who believed deeply in the freedoms and ideals upon which this nation was founded, and he embodied the very best traits of our great nation.”
Feldman said Copenhaver and his family were “deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers and support they have received over the past two years” since the shooting.
“Throughout that difficult time, James faced every challenge with the same strength and resolve that defined his life, and the kindness shown by so many brought great comfort to him and to those who love him,” Feldman said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and House Republicans mourned Copenhaver in posts on X.
“Lori and I extend our prayers to James Copenhaver’s loved ones — who now, as Corey Comperatore’s family has faced for over two years — will have an empty seat at their dinner table,” Shapiro said. “The political violence that occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024 is never okay. I said it at the time in Butler and I say it again today: we all have a responsibility to take down the temperature, rise above hateful rhetoric, and search for a brighter future for this nation.”
House Republicans said, “Jim endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance.”
Douglas Latto, another attorney for Copenhaver, declined to comment on whether his injuries are believed to have contributed to his death, citing pending litigation.
In June, Copenhaver and his wife, Marianne, sued the federal government, alleging “negligence, recklessness and/or carelessness” by the Secret Service in the 2024 shooting that left Copenhaver with “severe, serious, permanent and grievous injuries.”
The case is ongoing. Earlier this month, both sides agreed to give the United States more time to respond to the lawsuit, court records show. CNN has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
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