Man shot at Trump rally in Butler dies from complications

By Christen Smith | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – One of the men shot during an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania has died.

Attorney General Dave Sunday said Thursday that James Copenhaver, who was 74 years old when he was wounded at the president’s campaign rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, passed away from complications of the wounds he suffered. A gunman opened fire on the crowd, striking Trump’s ear, killing 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, and wounding another.

“Political violence is never an acceptable way to engage in civic discourse,” Sunday said. “It is incumbent on all of us, leaders and those who participate in the political process, to conduct ourselves in a way that makes that type of behavior unthinkable.”

The president, himself, took to TruthSocial to acknowledge Copenhaver’s death on Friday morning.

“God bless American patriot and warrior, James Copenhaver, and his incredible family,” he said. “May he rest in peace!”

Copenhaver and David Dutch, the second shooting survivor, sued the federal government in June for failing to protect the crowd, even though agents had noticed the gunman’s erratic behavior before the rally began.

Days after the shooting, authorities said local law enforcement should have safeguarded the building 125 yards from the stage, outside of the perimeter for federal agents.

Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle, who has since resigned, said the slope of the roof made it too dangerous to station a sniper on, drawing widespread criticism as questions swirl about multiple security failures that allowed 20-year-old Thomas Crooks to belly crawl into position and fire at Trump.

Gov. Josh Shapiro offered his condolences Thursday evening, extending prayers to both victims’ families, who “will have an empty seat at their dinner table.”

“The political violence that occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, is never OK,” he said. “I said it at the time in Butler and I say it again today: we all have a responsibility to take down the temperature, rise above hateful rhetoric, and search for a brighter future for this nation.”