James Copenhaver dies two years after Butler shooting

James Copenhaver, wounded in the July 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, died Wednesday, September 23, 2026, his family and President Trump said¹. A veteran, he died “surrounded by his loved ones,” his family said.^{1, 2}

“I could see a portion of it going by pretty fast, and I heard 'pew.'”

Three families, lasting toll

He died “from complications stemming from those wounds,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said.² The attack killed Corey Comperatore and wounded Copenhaver and David Dutch, leaving three families affected by the shooting². Comperatore, a firefighter, died “while trying to protect his family from the onslaught of bullets,” The Federalist reported.¹

His account of the shooting

In a 2025 interview, Copenhaver recalled seeing a bullet pass and hearing it before he realized he had been shot: “I could see a portion of it going by pretty fast, and I heard 'pew.'”¹ He had stood up to look at the giant screen as Trump was speaking when, in his words, “my sleeve has been yanked.”¹ He said he was shot again, but the bullets “went into soft material.”¹

He was discharged about a week after he was hospitalized.² His family called him a devoted husband, father and grandfather, saying his family “was the center of his world.”¹

The poll’s findings

His death came days after a new poll asked Democrats how they would greet news of an assassination. The Federalist reported that a Center for Strategic Politics poll found 23 percent of respondents would feel very positive about a headline saying Trump had been assassinated at a rally, and 8 percent somewhat positive¹. The survey of 683 Democratic voters, taken September 3 and September 8–10, 2026, was commissioned for Liberal Currents.³

Rhetoric and political fallout

Trump said Copenhaver was wounded while protecting his family and praised his bravery and positive spirit. The Federalist cited Elliot Forhan’s campaign rhetoric about killing Trump and reports that Jay Jones had fantasized about murdering Republican colleagues and their children as examples of political-violence rhetoric. The Federalist reported that Jones was elected Virginia attorney general last November.

Sources

1. Another Victim Of Butler Assassination Attempt Dies As Democrats Amp Up Violent Rhetoric (The Federalist), 2026-09-25
2. Man wounded during 2024 Trump rally shooting in Butler County, Pennsylvania, dies - CBS Pittsburgh
3. Liberal Currents 2028 Democratic Presidential Primary Poll Crosstabs (Sep 2026) — For Public Release