(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Pennsylvania man Jim Copenhaver, one of the two men who survived gunshot wounds from the July 13, 2024, Trump assassination attempt, died on Wednesday, Headline USA has learned.
This reporter was informed of the 76-year-old Copenhaver’s death Thursday morning. A source close to his family confirmed the death, but declined to provide more details at this point.
Copenhaver had been dealing with permanent injuries from the Butler rally, where he was shot twice: once in his left triceps, and once in the abdomen.
According to a lawsuit he filed against the U.S. government in June, Copenhaver was required to undergo numerous surgeries, including closure of traumatic abdominal wall hernia, laparotomy, laceration repair, and transection of his colon. There were still bullet fragments in his body at the time of his death.
Headline USA will report more details as they become available.
Copenhaver wrote the foreword for this writer’s book on the Butler assassination attempt—contemplating how he’d be remembered after surviving the shooting.
I’ve got very sad news: Jim Copenhaver, who was shot at the Butler Trump rally on July 13, 2024, has died.
I don’t have many details at this point, but it’s no secret that Jim was dealing with permanent injuries from Butler—including having bullet fragments still inside of him.… pic.twitter.com/37nRhQfcla
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) September 24, 2026
“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? … 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,” he wrote.
“With a bullet lodged next to my spine, I’m going to have a diminished usage of my left leg for the rest of my life. It’s numb from just beneath the kneecap to the hip area. It just doesn’t feel like my leg. I guess that’s the price of making history.”
Meanwhile, Copenhaver’s wife, Marianne, is still a party to the lawsuit against the U.S. government—as are the other gunshot survivor, David Dutch, and his wife. Marianne and the Dutches are seeking compensation for the damages caused by the Secret Service’s security failures. Dutch also had multiple surgeries, including for the repair of his liver. Like Copenhaver, he’ll have to continue to undergo rehabilitation for the rest of his life.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
