David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, were critically injured and have now shared their ordeal. (NBC News/Youtube)
In a harrowing incident on July 13, 2024, former President Donald Trump narrowly escaped a deadly assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, opened fire from a rooftop 400 feet outside the rally’s security perimeter.
Tragically, the attack claimed the life of one supporter, Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteer fire chief from Sarver, Pennsylvania, and critically injured two others.
The two survivors, David Dutch, 57, a Marine Corps League member from New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, from Moon Township, recently spoke to NBC News’ Tom Llamas in an emotional interview about the events of that night.
Both men, seated in the bleachers directly behind President Trump, said they were elated to be at the rally, supporting a leader they believed in.
Dutch, who sustained liver damage and broken ribs, and Copenhaver, who was shot in the triceps and abdomen, recalled the terrifying moment the gunshots rang out.
“It was like getting hit with a sledgehammer right in the chest,” Dutch described, remembering how pieces of metal and fragments of the bleachers flew around him.
Copenhaver added, “I turned around to my friend, and I said, ‘I think I was shot,’ and that’s when I got the second one and then I went down.”
The survivors also voiced deep frustration with the security measures that were supposed to protect attendees.
Dutch stated, “I believe there was 100% negligence on the Secret Service and everyone involved in security planning. The negligence was vast. It was terrible.”
Both men expressed disappointment and anger at what they felt was a failure to secure the rally properly. Dutch further stated, “Big time. The whole security setup was poor.”
Copenhaver added, “I’m sure there was negligence. It wouldn’t have happened, had it been secure.”
The two survivors have endured lasting physical impacts, struggling daily with the injuries sustained during the attack.
According to NBC, Copenhaver, who now walks with a cane, noted he has lost 30 pounds and continues to feel intermittent pain in his abdomen.
Dutch shared similar challenges, mentioning that he’s lost 25 pounds and can no longer drive or lift more than 10 pounds due to his injuries.
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It can be recalled that the Secret Service had called in to a “center” about the IDed threat ten minutes before Trump went on stage, yet he was allowed to go on stage, and that the Secret Service agent charged in Butler was on the phone with state and local police when the shooting occurred.
Rep. Ron Johnson (R-WI) released his 13-page preliminary findings on the investigation into the attempted assassination of President Trump in July.
“The lack of transparency from federal entities regarding this assassination attempt is unacceptable,” according to the summary of the preliminary investigation. “Congress and the public deserve a full explanation and complete answers to all questions regarding the failure of security at the Butler rally.”
According to local law enforcement, the Secret Service initially had no plans to deploy snipers to the rally.
Local law enforcement notified command about Crooks prior to the shooting and received confirmation that Secret Service was aware of the notification.
At 5:10pm on July 13, 2024, nearly one hour before former President Trump was shot, one of two local law enforcement snipers (hereafter AGR sniper 1) positioned in the AGR building observed the shooter, Crooks, for the first time. Local law enforcement told Senator Johnson’s office that at the time, even though Crooks did not have a weapon, he seemed suspicious.
At 5:14pm AGR sniper 1 took at least two pictures of Crooks (one of the pictures appears to show Crooks on his phone).
Source: Preliminary findings/Ron Johnson
At 5:28pm, AGR sniper 1 took a picture of a bicycle and backpack near the AGR building (it is unclear whether these items are associated with Crooks).
Source: Preliminary findings/Ron Johnson
At 5:32pm, AGR sniper 1 saw Crooks again near the AGR building apparently looking at news feeds on his phone and holding a range finder, according to information reported to Senator Johnson’s office. Shortly after, AGR sniper 1 reported the suspect to a group text of other law enforcement snipers on site and was instructed to report the suspect to command.
At 5:41pm AGR sniper 1 called into command to report the suspect and described the suspect’s appearance and notes that he has a range finder. At 5:45pm AGR sniper 1 texted the Beaver ESU Group Command about the suspect and instructed them to relay the message to command. At 5:59pm, a Beaver County law enforcement operator received confirmation from a Butler County SWAT commander that command, which included Secret Service, was made aware of the messages and requested more information about the suspect’s location.
To date, there are public reports that a “counter sniper flagged a suspicious man using a rangefinder to the Secret Service some 20 minutes before a gunman opened fire” at the rally.7 The information obtained by Senator Johnson’s office appears to confirm these reports but raises further questions about what the Secret Service did with this information, why Secret Service did not immediately send agents to the AGR building, and, perhaps most importantly, why former President Trump was allowed to go on stage.
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