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Man shot during Trump assassination attempt at 2024 campaign rally dies

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Cite

Deliso, M., DiMartino, J., & Saliba, E. (2026, September 25). Man shot during Trump assassination attempt at 2024 campaign rally dies. ABC News (US). https://abcnews.com/US/man-shot-trump-assassination-attempt-2024-campaign-rally/story?id=136739383

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

ABC News (US) · collected 2026-09-25 · by Meredith Deliso, Jessie DiMartino, Emmanuelle Saliba

Quick Summary

James Copenhaver, one of three people injured during an assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, has died. He was 76 and passed away surrounded by his family on Wednesday after being shot two years earlier. Copenhaver's death is remembered with tributes from Trump and House Republicans, who praised him as a "true American Patriot" and for his strength in facing the ordeal. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also commented on the incident, emphasizing the need to reduce political violence and rhetoric.
Written by AI on 2026-09-25, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

James Copenhaver, a 76-year-old man who was shot during an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, has died. Copenhaver was one of three people injured that day; he suffered gunshot wounds to his left arm and abdomen, leaving him with life-altering injuries and walking with a cane. The shooting occurred when Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old gunman, fired from a nearby rooftop. Copenhaver died on Wednesday at Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. His lawyer, Joseph Feldman, confirmed that he passed away surrounded by loved ones and stated that the family was deeply grateful for the support they received over the past two years.

Written for “Trump Rally Shooting Victim Dies” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 10 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Trump Rally Shooting Victim Dies
Politics · 11 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 18% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
ABC News (US)
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 1 of 20 claims Outlet record 70/100
NPR
Hedges 1 of 17 claims Outlet record 60/100
Toronto Star
Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 64/100
The Guardian
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 1 of 11 claims Outlet record 66/100
Times of India
Hedges 2 of 13 claims Outlet record 59/100
Euronews
Hedges 0 of 11 claims Outlet record 60/100
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 68/100
New York Post
Hedges 4 of 28 claims Outlet record 66/100
Daily Mail
Hedges 5 of 37 claims Outlet record 68/100
The Independent
Hedges 1 of 7 claims Outlet record 59/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
22
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
18%
4 of 22 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
70/100
ABC News (US)'s corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
11
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-25 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

ABC News (US) · 1284 article(s) · 3 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 3 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Meredith Deliso
33 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 "The pain of this loss I will carry with me forever."
🔮 The sheriff's office said it is in touch with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, which will both investigate.
🔮 According to the affidavit, she texted that she hated him and threatened that his visitation rights would be taken away.
🔮 The suspect allegedly tried to obtain footage of the death and "threatened the girl's social circle, stating that he would otherwise publish her personal data as well as compromising images of her," prosecutors said.
🔮 Giamanco grew emotional talking about the lives he could not save.
🔮 At several points while attempting to place IV lines, team members were unsure if the needle got in and expressed that they believed her vein might be blown, according to Spivey.
🔮 Mayor of Kissimmee, Florida, arrested on grand theft and fraud charges:
🔮 In a formal complaint to the Department of Homeland Security, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said the man "reportedly was subjected to repeated Taser use, forcibly restrained, and sustained significant injuries" during Saturday's encounter.
🔮 The police chief did not go into specific details on the investigation, saying he did not want to compromise the prosecution, though he credited advances in technology with helping lead to an arrest. "The things we couldn't do 15 years ago that we can do now allowed us to close this case," the chief said.
🔮 Instead, officers responded to the family's home in Towanda that day searching for evidence that, according to the search warrant application, "may reveal valuable evidence relating to the motive for this incident as well as recover evidence connecting the knife used at the crime scene to other items" at the home.
Also by Meredith Deliso
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 33 articles by Meredith Deliso →
Jessie DiMartino
6 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 A 19-year-old Illinois man has been charged after an investigation into an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting that may have targeted a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area, police said.
🔮 The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation will handle the investigation, Aaron said.
🔮 Trump called Copenhaver a "true American Patriot" in a statement on social media Thursday, saying his death is a "tremendous loss." "His indelible legacy of love and devotion will forever endure," Trump said.
Also by Jessie DiMartino
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 6 articles by Jessie DiMartino →
Emmanuelle Saliba
1 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Trump called Copenhaver a "true American Patriot" in a statement on social media Thursday, saying his death is a "tremendous loss." "His indelible legacy of love and devotion will forever endure," Trump said.
The only article under this byline in the corpus.

Topics

Butler Moon Township Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State Police Pittsburgh

Subjects

Copenhaver PERSON · 8× Butler PERSON · 4× Pennsylvania GPE · 4× Trump PERSON · 4× Feldman PERSON · 3× James Copenhaver PERSON · 2× Donald Trump PERSON · 1× Joseph Feldman PERSON · 1× Moon Township GPE · 1× Pennsylvania State Police ORG · 1×

Narrative

"Throughout that difficult time, James faced every challenge with the same strength and resolve that defined his life, and the kindness shown by so many brought great comfort to him and to those who love him," Feldman said.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-25
🔮 Trump called Copenhaver a "true American Patriot" in a statement on social media Thursday, saying his death is a "tremendous loss." "His indelible legacy of love and devotion will forever endure," Trump said.
2026-09-25 · ABC News (US)
Man shot during Trump assassination attempt at 2024 campaign rally dies · assertive framing

Claims (22 extracted, 4 hedged)

Man shot during Trump assassination attempt at 2024 campaign rally dies James Copenhaver was one of three attendees struck by gunfire. asserted
Copenhaver → shoot → gunfire
One of the spectators shot during the assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died, officials and his family attorney said Thursday. asserted
officials → shoot → Butler
James Copenhaver, 76, of Moon Township, died on Wednesday "surrounded by his loved ones," an attorney for his family said in a statement. asserted
attorney → die → statement
Copenhaver was one of three attendees struck when a gunman opened fire at the rally in Butler on July 13, 2024, according to Pennsylvania State Police. uncertain
gunman → strike → Police
He was "gravely wounded" in the shooting, attorney Joseph Feldman said in a statement on behalf of Copenhaver's family. asserted
Feldman → wound → family
"Throughout that difficult time, James faced every challenge with the same strength and resolve that defined his life, and the kindness shown by so many brought great comfort to him and to those who love him," Feldman said. asserted
Feldman → face → him
Copenhaver and his family "have been deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support they have received over the past two years," Feldman said. asserted
Feldman → receive → years
Copenhaver is remembered by his family as a "devoted husband, father, and grandfather" and a veteran of the armed forces whose "dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life," Feldman said. asserted
Feldman → remember → life
Copenhaver died at a hospital in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, according to the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner. uncertain
Copenhaver → die → Examiner
The cause and manner of death are pending, it told ABC News on Thursday. asserted
it → pende → Thursday
Trump called Copenhaver a "true American Patriot" in a statement on social media Thursday, saying his death is a "tremendous loss." "His indelible legacy of love and devotion will forever endure," Trump said. asserted
Trump → call → love
House Republicans addressed Copenhaver's death in a statement Thursday, saying he "endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance. asserted
he → address → strength
" "We join his family and loved ones in mourning his loss and praying for them during this difficult time. asserted
We → join → time
May he rest in peace," the statement said. uncertain
statement → rest → peace
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also extended his condolences to Copenhaver's family. asserted
Shapiro → extend → family
"The political violence that occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024 is never okay," Shapiro said in a statement Thursday. asserted
Shapiro → occur → statement
"I said it at the time in Butler and I say it again today: we all have a responsibility to take down the temperature, rise above hateful rhetoric, and search for a brighter future for this nation. asserted
we → say → nation
Former Marine David Dutch was also injured in the assassination attempt, police said. asserted
police → injure → attempt
He was shot in the chest and liver and was initially in a medically induced coma after the shooting, according to the Marine Corps League of Pennsylvania. uncertain
He → shoot → Pennsylvania
The third attendee struck by gunfire -- 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore -- died shielding his family, officials said. asserted
officials → strike → family
Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet. asserted
Trump → graze → bullet
Officials said the gunman -- 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania -- fired up to eight shots from the roof of a nearby building before a Secret Service sharpshooter shot and killed him. asserted
sharpshooter → say → him
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