James "Jim" Copenhaver, who was shot twice at the July 13, 2024 Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died after nearly two years of permanent injuries, and his federal lawsuit over Secret Service failures never received a government response.
Journalist Ken Silva broke the news on X Thursday, citing a source close to Copenhaver's family. The U.S. Sun confirmed the death through its own source close to the family. Copenhaver was 76.
The retired Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board employee had driven roughly an hour from his home in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, to attend the rally at the Butler County Farm Show grounds with his best friend Randy. When 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a rooftop overlooking the crowd, one bullet passed through Copenhaver's triceps and another struck his abdomen. He turned to Randy and said, "I think I was shot."
Copenhaver was rushed to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh alongside fellow rally-goer David Dutch, who took rounds to his chest and liver. Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old former fire chief, was killed shielding his wife and daughter. Trump himself was struck in the ear. A Secret Service counter-sniper shot Crooks dead moments later. The FBI later said Crooks died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
Copenhaver's injuries were severe and lasting. He underwent multiple surgeries. Bullet fragments remained lodged inside his body. He lost 30 pounds, suffered chronic abdominal pain, and needed a cane to walk, the New York Post reported after an October 2024 NBC News interview in which both Copenhaver and Dutch spoke publicly for the first time about the attack.
In that interview, Copenhaver did not mince words about the agency tasked with protecting the rally.
Silva wrote on X:
"I've got very sad news: Jim Copenhaver, who was shot at the Butler Trump rally on July 13, 2024, has died. I don't have many details at this point, but it's no secret that Jim was dealing with permanent injuries from Butler, including having bullet fragments still inside of him. RIP Jim."
Copenhaver told NBC News he was certain negligence played a role. Dutch, a 57-year-old former Marine who could no longer drive or lift more than ten pounds after the shooting, was blunter. He said he believed there was "100% negligence on the Secret Service, probably everybody involved in setting that security, down to inter-department communications."
The Secret Service itself has acknowledged breakdowns in communication, technology, and human judgment surrounding the rally. A Senate probe found the attack was "foreseeable" and "preventable." Crooks had been at the rally site for 70 minutes before the shooting and had flown a drone over the fairgrounds before Trump took the stage.
On June 1, Copenhaver and his wife Marianne filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania seeking more than $150,000 in damages from the federal government. The suit alleged security failures by the Secret Service, including failures related to the rooftop from which Crooks fired. Dutch joined Copenhaver in pursuing his own legal action against the government.
As of the latest publicly available docket information, the federal government has not filed a response to the Copenhaver lawsuit. Silva reported in June on the lawsuit's details, including the extensive abdominal trauma that required further surgeries well after the initial hospitalization.
Copenhaver had hoped to recover enough to ride his Harley-Davidson again with Randy. He never got there. Instead, he became one of the most outspoken survivors of the Butler shooting, pressing publicly for accountability from the agencies that let a 20-year-old with a rifle reach an unguarded rooftop within clear line of sight of a presidential candidate and thousands of rally-goers.
A Government Accountability Office report later exposed Secret Service policy failures and missed warnings before the assassination attempt, reinforcing the survivors' claims that the disaster was avoidable.
After the shooting, Copenhaver's family had thanked first responders, medics, and hospital staff for their care. They said he was praying for the other victims and for Trump. A family statement released through Allegheny Health Network at the time of his hospital discharge read: "Jim would like to especially thank the first responders, medics, and hospital staff who have provided him with initial and continuing care."
Copenhaver was a grandfather with at least one son and several grandchildren. He had grown increasingly involved in local issues in Moon Township. Before the shooting, he was an ordinary retiree who drove an hour to see a president he supported. He left on a stretcher.
House Republicans released a statement mourning Copenhaver's death:
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jim Copenhaver, who was gravely wounded in the horrific shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. 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. May he rest in peace."
Copenhaver's family has not yet commented publicly. The U.S. Sun said it reached out to the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner. The exact cause and date of death have not been disclosed.
Federal investigators later revealed that Crooks had spent years building firearms skills before the attack, and that the Secret Service knew a rifle was on the roof yet never relayed that information to Trump's protective detail.
The Washington Examiner reported at the time that Copenhaver's family described his injuries as "life-altering." Two years later, that description proved an understatement.
Jim Copenhaver went to a rally and paid a price that should have been the government's to prevent. He spent his final years demanding answers. The government still hasn't offered one.
