Trump Mourns James Copenhaver, Rally Shooting Victim Who Died Two Years After Butler Attack

Trump pays tribute to James Copenhaver, 76, a veteran shot at the July 2024 Butler, Pennsylvania rally who died Wednesday from complications of his wounds.

First Published: September 25, 2026, 6:28 AM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump offered condolences to the family of James Copenhaver, a 76-year-old military veteran shot at a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, who died Wednesday from complications of those wounds.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “God bless American Patriot and Warrior, James Copenhaver, and his incredible family. May he rest in peace!!! Trump” on September 25, 2026 at 6:19 AM ET.

This is Trump’s 1st message released today, and the last post was 11 hours ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 17 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The post fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 6 of his 69 posts over the last 30 days classified as Personal Praise, Greetings & Tributes posts.

Copenhaver was in the bleachers at the Butler Farm Show grounds on July 13, 2024, when a 20-year-old gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop. One bullet struck him in the triceps; a second tore into his abdomen, taking chunks of his colon and leaving him with nerve damage and a need for a cane, according to clickondetroit.com. Two other attendees were also shot — David Dutch, who survived, and Corey Comperatore, who was killed shielding his family.

“I didn’t realize at the time that I had gotten shot, but I turned around and that’s when I got the second shot,” Copenhaver told CNN affiliate KDKA nearly a year after the shooting, according to krdo.com. The second bullet hit flesh rather than bone and felt “like a jolt, but it didn’t knock me over.”

Family lawyer Joseph Feldman confirmed Copenhaver died surrounded by loved ones. “His family was the center of his world, and he was the center of theirs,” Feldman said, according to krdo.com. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said Copenhaver died “from complications stemming from those wounds,” according to cbsnews.com.

“James’s dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life,” Feldman said in a statement on behalf of the family. “As a veteran, he proudly served our nation in the armed forces, and his love of country never wavered. James was a true American patriot who believed deeply in the freedoms and ideals upon which this nation was founded,” according to krdo.com.

Copenhaver and his wife, Marianne Copenhaver, sued the federal government, alleging the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security had “utterly failed” to provide appropriate security at the rally. The lawsuit described his wounds as “debilitating, grievous, permanent and life altering,” according to clickondetroit.com.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro offered condolences on X. “Lori and I extend our prayers to James Copenhaver’s loved ones — who now, as Corey Comperatore’s family has faced for over two years — will have an empty seat at their dinner table,” Shapiro said. “The political violence that occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024 is never okay,” according to krdo.com. House Republicans also mourned Copenhaver, writing that he “endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance,” according to cbsnews.com.

Feldman said Copenhaver and his family were “deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers and support they have received over the past two years” since the shooting. “Throughout that difficult time, James faced every challenge with the same strength and resolve that defined his life,” Feldman said, according to krdo.com.