James Copenhaver, one of three attendees shot during then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died at age 76.
The House Republican Conference announced Copenhaver’s death on Sept. 24 on X, saying he had been “gravely wounded” in the shooting and had endured significant hardship following the attack.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jim Copenhaver, who was gravely wounded in the horrific shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania,” the House GOP account said. “Jim endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance.”
He was a rallygoer shot when gunman Thomas Crooks tried to kill Donald Trump on July 13, 2023, at the Butler Farm Show grounds. Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old Pennsylvania firefighter, was killed protecting his family, and David Dutch was struck in the chest and liver. Trump survived with a shot to the ear because he happened to turn his head as Crooks opened fire.
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Mr. Copenhaver was shot in the triceps and in the colon and kidney. He was left with nerve damage. Mr. Copenhaver suffered grievously and never recovered. He had bullet fragments in his body and underwent multiple surgeries.
He was shot in the triceps but didn’t realize he was shot at first, and when he turned, he was shot again.
Copenhaver and his wife, Marianne Copenhaver, filed a federal lawsuit against the United States in Pittsburgh earlier this year.
The lawsuit alleges negligence, recklessness, and carelessness by the U.S. Secret Service, including failures in security planning, communication, and securing the building from which Crooks opened fire. The complaint alleges those failures led to Copenhaver’s “significant, grievous and permanent” injuries.
The lawsuit sought more than $150,000 in damages. As of Sept. 24, the case remains pending in the Western District of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. They deserve a lot more than $150,000.