Trump social post credits Copenhaver with ‘tremendous bravery’

The family’s Thursday statement, issued through Copenhaver’s lawyer Joseph Feldman, called Copenhaver “above all else a devoted husband, father and grandfather who instilled the values of hard work, integrity and the service to others in his children.”

“James’s dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life,” the statement said. “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, and he embodied the very best traits of our great nation.”

In a statement posted to social media Thursday, Trump called Copenhaver “a true American Patriot.” “Jim showed tremendous bravery, courageously continuing to FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, and maintaining a positive spirit despite unimaginable hardships,” Trump wrote.

Copenhaver, 76, died Wednesday at Allegheny Health Network’s West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to a statement from the Allegheny County medical examiner cited in local media accounts. Feldman said in a statement issued on behalf of the family that Copenhaver “died surrounded by loved ones.” The statement did not specify if his death was directly related to the injuries he suffered at the rally.

Copenhaver was in the bleachers at the Butler rally when a 20-year-old gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop, grazing Trump’s right ear with one bullet. Copenhaver was struck in the arm and in the abdomen, wounds that left him with lingering injuries and walking with a cane. Two other attendees were also shot — David Dutch, who survived, and Corey Comperatore, who shielded his family from gunfire and was killed.

His injuries required multiple surgeries, including a transection of his colon, and he had lingering kidney and other damage, including a loss of feeling in his leg. Court filings in a later lawsuit described his wounds as “debilitating, grievous, permanent and life altering.”

In June, 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.