James Copenhaver, who was shot twice at the Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign stop of President Donald Trump in 2024, has died.
Copenhaver, 76, was one of two spectators injured in the attempted assassination of Trump, who was campaigning for his second term at the time. A third person was killed, and Trump was wounded.
House Republicans announced Copenhaver’s death on X, saying that he “endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance.”
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jim Copenhaver, who was gravely wounded in the horrific shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) September 24, 2026
Jim endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance.
We join his family and loved ones in mourning his loss and praying for them… pic.twitter.com/wmAMjp2lAz
Trump called Copenhaver a “true American Patriot” on Truth Social and said that his death was a “tremendous loss.”
Copenhaver died on Sept. 23, “surrounded by his loved ones,” his family’s attorney said in a statement to ABC News. He died at a hospital in Pittsburgh, but the cause and manner of death are pending, according to the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner.
The attorney said that he was “gravely wounded” in the shooting on July 13, 2024, at the Butler Farm Show grounds.
“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,” attorney Joseph Feldman said.
Copenhaver and the other man wounded, David Dutch, sued the United States, with their attorney saying that a “cascade” of Secret Service failures led to their injuries, WPXI reported.
The lawsuit stated that Copenhaver had damage to his colon, kidneys, and left tricep as a result of the shooting, which also killed former fire chief Corey Comperatore.
A friend of Copenhaver’s said he had recovered from his injuries, The New York Times reported.
Officials said Thomas Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, shot at least eight times from a nearby roof before a Secret Service sharpshooter killed him.
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