{"id":293217,"date":"2026-09-24T19:48:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T19:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/293217\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T19:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T19:48:21","slug":"victim-from-president-trumps-butler-pennsylvania-rally-dies-2-years-after-gunshot-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/293217\/","title":{"rendered":"Victim From President Trump\u2019s Butler, Pennsylvania, Rally Dies 2 Years After Gunshot Injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">James Copenhaver was shot twice during now-President <a data-ylk=\"slk:Donald Trump;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Donald Trump<\/a>&#8216;s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. Despite surviving the shooting, the 76-year-old has died more than two years after suffering life-altering injuries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jim Copenhaver, who was gravely wounded in the horrific <a data-ylk=\"slk:shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\/john-hinckley-jr-who-attempted-to-assassinate-reagan-shares-thoughts-on-president-trump-attacks\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania<\/a>,&#8221; the House GOP <a data-ylk=\"slk:X;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/HouseGOP\/status\/2103160347347607587\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">X<\/a> account shared on Thursday, September 24. &#8220;Jim endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance. We join his family and loved ones in mourning his loss and praying for them during this difficult time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Copenhaver, a <a data-ylk=\"slk:spectator at Trump&#039;s rally;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\/marjorie-taylor-greene-questions-president-trumps-2024-assassination-attempt-why-the-cover-up\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">spectator at Trump&#8217;s rally<\/a>, suffered a gunshot wound to his left arm and another to his abdomen. He was rushed to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh in critical condition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He was left with permanent nerve damage with numbness in his left leg. Copenhaver was discharged from the hospital two weeks later.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Jim would like to especially thank the first responders, medics, and hospital staff who have provided him with initial and continuing care,&#8221; the family said in a statement following his release, per <a data-ylk=\"slk:CBS News;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/pittsburgh\/news\/jim-copenhaver-trump-rally-assassination-attempt-victim-dies\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">CBS News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He recalled the fateful day in an interview with <a data-ylk=\"slk:CBS Pittsburgh;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/pittsburgh\/news\/trump-assassination-attempt-one-year-later-victims-recount-shooting\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">CBS Pittsburgh<\/a> one year later, saying, &#8220;I didn&#8217;t realize at the time that I had gotten shot.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"&lt;span class=&quot;wp-desc-text&quot;&gt;&lt;\/span&gt; &lt;span class=&quot;wp-caption-text&quot;&gt;Mega&lt;\/span&gt;\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/globe_458\/528594e59a004fc06d8dbcf8cdf73ea4.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I turned around, and that&#8217;s when I got the second shot. So, the second shot didn&#8217;t hit bone,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Mine went into all soft material. It was like a jolt. It didn&#8217;t knock me over, but I didn&#8217;t want to stand anymore.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Despite multiple surgeries, fragments from the bullet remained lodged near his spine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In June, Copenhaver, along with David Dutch, another gunshot victim from the rally, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Government seeking damages over the Secret Service&#8217;s alleged security failures, per <a data-ylk=\"slk:Politico;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/06\/02\/trump-butler-shooting-lawsuit-00947338\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Politico<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">This story <a data-ylk=\"slk:Victim From President Trump&#039;s Butler, Pennsylvania, Rally Dies 2 Years After Gunshot Injuries;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\/victim-from-president-trumps-butler-pennsylvania-rally-dies-2-years-after-gunshot-injuries\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Victim From President Trump&#8217;s Butler, Pennsylvania, Rally Dies 2 Years After Gunshot Injuries<\/a> first appeared on <a data-ylk=\"slk:Globe;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/globemagazine.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Globe<\/a>. Follow <a data-ylk=\"slk:Globe;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/profiles.yahoo.com\/brands\/globe\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Globe<\/a><a data-ylk=\"slk:on;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/profiles.yahoo.com\/brands\/globe\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> on <\/a><a data-ylk=\"slk:Yahoo;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/profiles.yahoo.com\/brands\/globe\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Yahoo<\/a> so you don&#8217;t miss what&#8217;s coming next.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"James Copenhaver was shot twice during now-President Donald Trump&#8216;s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. Despite&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":293218,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[3027,121480,34,3907,121479,121461,28,30,29],"class_list":["post-293217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pennsylvania","tag-butler","tag-campaign-rally","tag-donald-trump","tag-gunshot-wound","tag-james-copenhaver","tag-jim-copenhaver","tag-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania-headlines","tag-pennsylvania-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=293217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/293218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=293217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=293217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=293217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}