Jim Copenhaver, one of the two audience members wounded at President Donald Trump’s July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, died on Wednesday.
Copenhaver, 76, was seriously wounded at the rally after being hit with two bullets, when one struck him in the triceps and the other shredded part of his colon before lodging itself in his body. The latter wound left him with lasting nerve damage. His death was first announced by Headline USA Editor Ken Silva on X, who declined to offer specific details but said it was “no secret that Jim was dealing with permanent injuries from Butler.”
The House Republicans’ X account confirmed Copenhaver’s death and paid tribute to him.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jim Copenhaver, who was gravely wounded in the horrific shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania,” the GOP account said. “Jim endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance,” it said. “We join his family and loved ones in mourning his loss and praying for them during this difficult time. May he rest in peace.”
Neither account said whether Copenhaver’s death was related to his wounds sustained at the rally.
Copenhaver had filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government in June, alleging his “severe, significant, permanent, and grievous physical, personal, and other injuries” were due to the “negligence, recklessness, and/or carelessness of the United States Secret Service and/or the Department of Homeland Security.”
Copenhaver was watching Trump speak in the bleachers flanking the president when he was shot by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, who had taken up a position on a nearby roof with a view of the president. Crooks also shot and killed firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died at the scene; shot Navy veteran David Dutch twice; and famously nicked Trump’s ear. After getting off nine shots, Crooks was shot and killed by a counter sniper.
Dutch and Copenhaver were both in critical condition and barely survived after intensive surgery.
Copenhaver wrote a reflection on his life in the foreword for Silva’s book on the assassination attempt, The Trump Assassination Plots: What the Investigations Missed and Why it Matters, which was released in March.
“I’ve lived a good life, but most of it has been what I’d describe as ‘uneventful’ in a grand historical sense,” he wrote. “After raising a family and working for over 30 years — playing in a band on the side — I started to wonder: How will I be remembered? I’ve planted trees in honor of my dad and great uncle that are now too big to wrap my arms around, but someone could come along and cut them down at any moment.
“Well, I got my answer to that question on July 13, 2024, though taking a bullet meant for the President wasn’t exactly what I had in mind,” Copenhaver wrote.
TRUMP SUPPORTERS WENT FROM SKEPTICAL TO SCARED AS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT UNFOLDED
He related how he suffered from enduring health problems resulting from his wounds at Butler, including diminished use of his left leg for the rest of his life, which felt numb from the knee to the hip.
“I guess that’s the price of making history,” Copenhaver wrote.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
