Man Shot Twice in Trump Assassination Attempt Dies 2 Years Later

A Pennsylvania man who survived being shot twice during the 2024 assassination attempt against Donald Trump has died more than two years after the shocking attack.

James “Jim” Copenhaver, 76, died Wednesday, Sept. 23, according to reports confirmed by people close to his family and later acknowledged publicly by House Republicans.

Copenhaver was one of two spectators seriously wounded when gunfire erupted at Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.

Former fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed in the shooting, while fellow spectator David Dutch was also wounded.

Trump, who was a presidential candidate at the time, suffered an injury to his ear before the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot and killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

Copenhaver survived the initial attack, but his injuries were severe.

He was struck once in the left arm and again in the abdomen.

The abdominal bullet tore through his colon and left him with lasting nerve damage, according to accounts he later gave about his recovery.

Copenhaver said part of his left leg remained numb after the shooting and that he never fully regained normal use of it.

He also still had bullet fragments inside his body.

His cause of death has not been publicly disclosed, and there has been no official determination linking his death directly to the gunshot wounds.

Copenhaver had undergone multiple procedures and continued dealing with the physical consequences of the attack long after leaving the hospital.

In June, he and his wife, Marianne, filed a federal lawsuit against the United States, accusing the Secret Service of negligence in its security planning for the Butler rally.

David Dutch and his wife filed a separate lawsuit making similar allegations.

The lawsuits argue that serious security failures allowed Crooks to reach a nearby rooftop with a clear line of sight to the stage and crowd.

A bipartisan congressional investigation and later federal watchdog reviews also identified major failures involving communication, planning and security coordination at the event.

Among the findings, a Department of Homeland Security inspector general report said Secret Service personnel failed to receive more than 100 radio transmissions from local law enforcement on the day of the shooting because the agencies were not operating through a unified communications system.

Copenhaver remained outspoken about the attack after his recovery.

He said he believed the shooting could have been prevented with better security.

He also described how dramatically his life changed after being struck.

In an interview reflecting on the moment he was shot, Copenhaver recalled initially feeling his shirt sleeve move before realizing he had been hit.

Then came the second bullet.

“It was like a jolt,” he said.

He survived, but the injuries followed him for the rest of his life.

Earlier this year, Copenhaver wrote about the surreal way the Butler shooting had come to define his life.

He reflected on having spent decades working, raising a family and playing music before suddenly becoming known nationally as one of the victims of an attempted presidential assassination.

The shooting left him with a bullet lodged near his spine and diminished use of his leg.

Still, he continued speaking publicly about what happened and pushing for answers about how the gunman was able to open fire.

News of his death prompted tributes Thursday.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jim Copenhaver, who was gravely wounded in the horrific shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania,” the House Republican Conference said in a statement.

The statement praised Copenhaver for enduring “unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance.”

Copenhaver’s family has not yet publicly released additional details about his death.

David Dutch remains the other surviving spectator who was wounded in the Butler shooting.