One of the persons shot at then-former President Donald Trump’s July 2024 rally in Butler, Pa., has passed away.
James Copenhaver, who survived the assassination attempt on Trump, died Wednesday at 76.
His family said the military veteran passed away September 23 surrounded by loved ones after two difficult years.
Copenhaver was among the rallygoers wounded when a gunman fired toward Trump during the July 13, 2024, campaign event.
His family did not publicly specify whether complications from those injuries caused his death.
The shooting left him with permanent injuries, multiple surgeries and bullet fragments lodged inside his body, according to reports.
Copenhaver lived in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, and attended the rally with relatives at the Butler Farm Show grounds.
Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from the roof of a nearby building while Trump was addressing the crowd.
A bullet grazed Trump’s ear, and Secret Service agents rushed the Republican presidential candidate off the stage.
Firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed while protecting his family, and rallygoer David Dutch was also seriously wounded.
Crooks was killed by a Secret Service sniper after firing at the rally.
Copenhaver was struck by two bullets, according to a lawsuit he later filed against the United States.
The complaint said he sustained wounds to his abdomen and left arm and retained fragments from the shooting.
He alleged that those injuries required repeated medical procedures and left him with lasting physical harm.
Copenhaver and Dutch filed separate lawsuits in federal court in June, each seeking $150,000 plus interest and legal fees.
Copenhaver told KDKA he initially felt a jolt without realizing he had been shot.
Trump called Copenhaver’s family after the attack, and relatives described him as respectful.
Their complaints accused the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security of gross negligence in securing the rally.
The government is named as the defendant, and both men’s wives joined their respective legal actions.
The filings cited the unsecured roof used by Crooks and alleged failures to share warnings between security teams.
They also alleged that separate command posts complicated communication among the agencies responsible for protecting the event.
Those allegations remain claims in civil litigation; the lawsuits themselves do not establish legal liability.
Congressional investigators separately concluded that major security failures made the July 13 attack preventable.
The bipartisan House task force identified problems involving planning, execution and leadership by the Secret Service and its partners.
A Senate investigation also faulted communication breakdowns and decisions made before Crooks began shooting.
Then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned 10 days after the attempted assassination amid bipartisan criticism.
Six agents later received unpaid suspensions ranging from 10 to 42 days, according to the Secret Service.
The agency said those employees were placed on restricted duty or moved into nonoperational positions.
The Senate report criticized the disciplinary response, noting none of the agency’s employees had been fired.
For Copenhaver, the consequences extended far beyond the rally grounds and the investigations that followed.
His family described him as a devoted husband, father and grandfather whose life was anchored by service.
“James was a true American patriot,” the family said in a statement provided to Fox News.
The family said he faced the challenges following his wounds with strength and appreciated years of prayers and support.
Trump offered his condolences on Truth Social, calling Copenhaver’s death “a tremendous loss.”
The president praised his courage and recalled that he remained positive while enduring extraordinary hardship.
Trump said his thoughts were with the family, particularly Copenhaver’s wife, Marianne.
House Republicans also mourned Copenhaver, saying he had endured hardship with strength and perseverance.
The family’s attorney, Joseph Feldman, previously said the wounded men wanted answers about how Crooks reached the roof.
Video recorded from Copenhaver’s position showed a figure moving across that roof shortly before the gunfire, CNN reported.
The sightline and the failure to secure the building became central questions in congressional reviews.
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