James Copenhaver, Wounded in 2024 Trump Assassination Attempt, Dies at 76

<p>James Copenhaver, one of the two spectators wounded during the 2024 attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, died Wednesday at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was 76.</p><p>President Trump stated on social media, "Jim Copenhaver, a true American Patriot, has passed away — a tremendous loss. More than two years ago in Butler, Pennsylvania, a crazed gunman attempted to stifle our America First Movement. Instead, Jim and so many other wonderful patriots who love our Country, stood united in defense of our shared values of Freedom, Liberty, and Justice."</p><p>Trump praised Copenhaver's resilience after the attack, noting, "After being wounded while protecting his family, Jim showed tremendous bravery, courageously continuing to FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, and maintaining a positive spirit despite unimaginable hardships," adding that his "indelible legacy of love and devotion will endure forever." </p><p>Copenhaver was shot once in the triceps and once in the abdomen, leaving him with bullet fragments in his body and permanent nerve damage. His family described his injuries as “life-altering.” The family has not disclosed a cause of death, though some reports indicate he died from complications related to his injuries. The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was killed by the Secret Service on the rooftop from which he fired at Trump.</p><p>Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, Mayor Jondavid Longo stated that Copenhaver continued to suffer long after the shooting.</p><p>“He survived that day, but he never fully recovered from the wounds. For two years he lived with surgeries, remaining fragments, and pain that never left him. Those of us who were there that day have never forgotten Corey Comperatore, David Dutch, or Jim,” Longo said on social media.</p><p>David Dutch was the other man wounded in the attack. Comperatore, a firefighter, was killed while shielding his wife and daughters from gunfire. Trump later invited both Copenhaver and Dutch to his inauguration.</p><p>“Although they are far from recovery and, in fact, will never be fully recovered, it is a tribute to their strength and love of country that they will make the trip to the Inauguration,” their attorney, Joseph Feldman, stated ahead of the ceremony. “Many thanks to the president and his team for ensuring that their needs will be met throughout the weekend. On behalf of James and David, we want to thank everyone for their continued prayers and support.”</p><p>In a statement following Copenhaver's death, Feldman described him as a “devoted husband, father, and grandfather.”</p><p>“As a veteran, he proudly served our nation in the armed forces, and his love of country never wavered,” the statement said.</p><p>“His family was the center of his world, and he was the center of theirs,” Feldman said.</p>