Sept. 24 (UPI) — One of the men wounded in the 2024 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., has died, according to his family.
James Copenhaver, 76, was shot in the tricep and another bullet damaged his colon and kidney in the July 13, 2024 shooting. He spent a week in the hospital after shooting and was left with nerve damage, CBS News reported.
Copenhaver’s family described his injuries as “life-altering”
“James’s dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life,” according to a statement by Copenhaver’s attorney, Joseph A. Feldman. “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.”A cause of death was not disclosed.
“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 on X. “Jim endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance.”
Copenhaver was one of three attendees at the rally who were shot when Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at the Butler Farm Show grounds. Pennsylvania firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed in the shooting, and David Dutch was shot in the chest and liver.
Trump was wounded in his upper right ear.
Crooks was killed by law enforcement after shooting at the crowd from the roof of a building nearby.
Copenhaver and his wife filed a lawsuit in a Pittsburgh federal court against the United States in June, alleging negligence, recklessness and carelessness by the U.S. Secret Service. The lawsuit alleges failures in security planning and communication led to Copenhaver’s “significant, grievous and permanent” injuries.
The lawsuit, which is seeking $150,000 in damages, is pending in the Western District of Pennsylvania.