Two Years After the Butler Shooting, Another Survivor Has Died
BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA — James Copenhaver, one of the people wounded during the 2024 assassination attempt against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died at age 76.
Copenhaver died Wednesday at a Pittsburgh-area hospital, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. His family confirmed the death through attorney Joseph Feldman.
He was surrounded by family and loved ones when he died, according to the family’s statement.
The July 13, 2024, shooting left Copenhaver with serious injuries that continued to affect him long after he left the hospital.
Copenhaver Was Among Three Rallygoers Hit
Copenhaver was attending Trump’s campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds when a gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop.
Trump was wounded in the incident, while three people in the crowd were also struck by gunfire.
Corey Comperatore was killed at the scene, while David Dutch and Copenhaver survived their initial injuries.
Copenhaver was hospitalized and later discharged, but his injuries had lasting consequences.
His Injuries Changed His Life
Copenhaver sustained wounds to his arm and abdomen.
Subsequent reporting documented continuing health problems and multiple medical procedures following the shooting. His family later described the injuries as having a profound and lasting impact on his life.
His death comes more than two years after the attack, bringing renewed attention to the long-term consequences suffered by survivors of the Butler shooting.
Authorities and Copenhaver’s family have provided different levels of detail regarding the precise cause of death. The county medical examiner confirmed his death, while early family statements did not initially specify whether it was directly connected to his 2024 injuries. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday subsequently said Copenhaver died from complications stemming from those wounds, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
Family Remembers a Veteran and Devoted Father
Copenhaver’s family described him as a devoted husband, father and grandfather.
They also highlighted his military service and his commitment to his family.
The statement said his loved ones were with him at the time of his death, nearly 27 months after the Butler rally shooting.
Trump also issued a statement mourning Copenhaver, describing him as a patriot and expressing condolences to his family.
A Case That Continued Beyond the Shooting
Copenhaver’s story did not end when he left the hospital.
In June 2026, he and his wife, Marianne, filed a lawsuit against the federal government. The lawsuit alleged failures by the U.S. Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security in providing security at the Butler rally.
Those allegations remain part of separate legal proceedings and should not be treated as established findings.
The FBI investigation into the shooting has also continued to draw attention. Recent reporting has identified additional information about the gunman’s background, while investigators have previously concluded that he acted alone and have not established a political motive for the attack.
The Butler Shooting’s Lasting Human Cost
The July 2024 attack became one of the most consequential security incidents surrounding a U.S. presidential campaign in modern times.
But beyond the political and security debate, the incident left individual victims and families dealing with injuries, loss and long-term consequences.
Copenhaver’s death underscores that those consequences did not end when the rally ended.
More than two years after the gunfire erupted in Butler, the story of the people caught in that crowd is still unfolding — and Copenhaver’s family is now facing a loss that began with that July afternoon.
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