James Copenhaver Died After Being Wounded In Failed Trump Shooting

Evan Vucci, the Associated Press chief photographer in DC, recently joined 'The Sunday Briefing' to talk about his iconic image from Butler, how he caught a major story while it was unfolding, and what it feels like to document President Donald Trump's return to the White House. You can now listen to Fox News articles directly.

James Copenhaver of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania is dead. Several reports confirm this news today. The man from Coraopolis was wounded during a failed assassination attempt on President Donald Trump back in 2024. He was in his mid-70s at the time. Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter who tried to take out presidential candidate Trump, scaled the roof of a glass manufacturing building near the Butler Farm Show complex and opened fire. Copenhaver stood among several people caught in that crossfire outside Butler, Pennsylvania.

GOP lawmakers were blindsided by fresh revelations about the Butler shooter, calling the situation awfully strange. A person who answered a phone number linked to Copenhaver's family told Fox News Digital to contact a Pittsburgh law firm for confirmation and more details. The House Republican Conference also posted an obituary on social media stating he died on Thursday.

Ken Silva, a journalist who wrote a book about the assassination attempt, shared news on his website that someone close to Copenhaver's family confirmed the death. That source added Copenhaver had been dealing with permanent injuries, including bullet fragments still lodged inside his body earlier this year. A lawsuit filed by Copenhaver against the United States alleged he was required to undergo multiple surgeries because of those wounds.

President Trump survived that shooting attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania in July. Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Copenhaver worked in both the New York and Washington bureaus for Fox News since 2013. Law enforcement officers gathered at the campaign rally site for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump on Saturday, July 13, 2024, after his team said he was fine following the attack. This is a developing story with updates to follow.