Archive · 25 Sep 2026
2024 Trump Rally Shooting Victim James Copenhaver Dies
James Copenhaver was hurt during a shooting at a Donald Trump campaign rally in 2024.
He was standing in the bleachers in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A gunman fired from a nearby rooftop.
Copenhaver was shot in his arm and stomach and needed several surgeries.
He continued to have serious health problems and used a cane.
He died at a hospital in Pittsburgh at age 76.
His family did not say whether the shooting directly caused his death.
Copenhaver and his wife had sued the federal government, saying security at the rally was not good enough.
James Copenhaver, 76, died Wednesday at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Copenhaver was shot in the arm and abdomen during the 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
His injuries required multiple surgeries and caused lasting kidney, leg and other damage.
The shooting killed Corey Comperatore and injured David Dutch; then-candidate Donald Trump was grazed in the ear.
Copenhaver’s lawsuit accused the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security of failing to provide adequate rally security.
- Who
- James Copenhaver, a 76-year-old rally attendee, died; the shooting also involved Donald Trump, Corey Comperatore and David Dutch.
- What
- Copenhaver died after suffering serious injuries in the 2024 assassination attempt targeting then-candidate Donald Trump.
- When
- He died Wednesday; the shooting occurred during a 2024 campaign rally, and his lawsuit was filed in June.
- Where
- Copenhaver died at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh; he was shot at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
- Why
- The articles do not specify whether his death was directly related to his rally injuries; his lawsuit alleged inadequate security by federal agencies.
Copenhaver Family’s Allegations
Reported Government Response
Rally security
Copenhaver Family’s Allegations
Copenhaver and his wife alleged that the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security had failed to provide appropriate security at the rally.
Reported Government Response
The White House had not immediately commented on Copenhaver’s death, and the articles do not provide a substantive government response to the lawsuit’s allegations.
Cause of death
Copenhaver Family’s Allegations
The family described Copenhaver’s rally injuries as debilitating, permanent and life-altering, including multiple surgeries and lasting damage.
Reported Government Response
The family statement and medical examiner information did not specify whether his death was directly related to those injuries.
- Age at death
- 76
- Date of death
- Wednesday, according to the medical examiner statement cited by local media
- Hospital
- Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh
- Rally location
- Butler, Pennsylvania
- Injuries
- Gunshot wounds to the arm and abdomen, followed by lasting kidney damage and loss of feeling in his leg
- Other shooting victims
- Corey Comperatore was killed and David Dutch survived after being shot
- Lawsuit
- Copenhaver and his wife sued the federal government in June over alleged rally security failures