Trump Rally Shooting Survivors Turn Attack Into Motivation Year Later: ‘go Out There And Live Life’

PITTSBURGH – A twelvemonth has passed since an effort connected then-presidential campaigner Donald Trump’s life near 2 men severely injured and a 3rd dormant astatine a rally successful Butler, Pennsylvania.

James Copenhaver, David Dutch, and family members of nan precocious Corey Comperatore still person galore unanswered questions astir July 13, 2024, nan time that changed their lives forever.

"You missed Trump, but you sewage my large brother," Dawn Comperatore Schafer, Comperatore’s sister, told Fox News Digital of gunman Thomas Crooks, who died erstwhile responding officers astatine nan rally returned fire. "My relative was assassinated that day. Not Donald Trump, but Corey Comperatore was assassinated that day. You did not miss."

Comperatore, 50, was nan erstwhile occurrence main for nan Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, a husband, and a begetter to 2 daughters. 

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From left: Corey Comperatore's sister, Dawn Comperatore Schafer; mother, Karen Schafer Bird; and sister, Kelly Comperatore Meeder, airs for a image successful Pittsburgh, PA, U.S., July 8, 2025. (David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)

"He was truthful cleanable that we called him Golden Boy," Comperatore’s sister, Kelly Comperatore Meeder, said alongside Schafer, her sister, and their mother, Karen Schafer Bird.

WATCH: Corey Comperatore's mother, sisters still person questions twelvemonth later

Comperatore enjoyed sportfishing unsocial aliases pinch his woman successful nan mornings, which his sisters described arsenic his clip pinch God, erstwhile "he devoted his greeting to prayer." They besides described him arsenic nan "ultimate woman dad," who took pridefulness successful dressing his daughters and attending their each event.

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Since nan assassination effort connected Trump that near nan 50-year-old begetter dead, nan Comperatore family has grappled pinch lingering and unanswered questions astir what led to Comperatore’s decease that day.

It is negligence connected a level that I've yet to see, and I'm an security agent.

"I cognize astir negligence," Comperatore Schafer said. "There were truthful galore morale hazards and civilized hazards. I was looking astatine it and reasoning to myself, ‘my God.’"

Former Buffalo Township Fire Chief Corey Comperatore pictured pinch his daughters successful an undated family photo. Authorities opportunity Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate erstwhile President Donald Trump astatine a rally successful Butler County, Pennsylvania, struck and killed Comperatore successful nan crossfire. Secret Service agents returned fire, sidesplitting Crooks. (Helen Comperatore/Facebook)

Comperatore Meeder likewise asked why then-presidential campaigner Trump was allowed to locomotion connected shape that day.

PENNSYLVANIA OFFICER AT TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SAYS HE NEEDS ‘EMPIRE’ AMID SECRET SERVICE STAFFING WOES

Corey Comperatore's sister, Dawn Comperatore Schafer; mother, Karen Schafer Bird; and sister, Kelly Comperatore Meeder, airs for a image successful Pittsburgh, PA, U.S., July 8, 2025. (Fox News Digital/David Dee Delgado)

"When they were saying that there's personification connected nan tile and he has a weapon … why did they march President Trump retired connected that X? Why didn't they clasp him?" she asked. "We cognize that location was inadequate security. That's a fixed … but why did they do that? Why did they deliberation it was safe to locomotion him retired connected nan X? They knew that nan threats were there."

David Dutch, 58, and James Copenhaver, 75, person akin questions astir nan time that near them pinch life-altering injuries.

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David Dutch, Trump assassination effort survivor, poses for a image successful Pittsburgh, PA, U.S., July 8, 2025.  (Fox News Digital/David Dee Delgado)

Dutch, a Marine Corps seasoned who served successful nan Gulf War, was struck successful nan abdomen. Bullet fragments deed his liver and stay location to this day. Copenhaver, who served successful nan U.S. National Guard, was struck erstwhile successful nan limb and again successful his colon. Both are still receiving curen for beingness and psychological trauma.

It felt for illustration personification deed maine pinch a sledgehammer successful my chest.

"When I felt my ribs each collapsed up, each I tried to do was get retired of nan statement of occurrence because location was a batch of shrapnel conscionable flying each complete nan bleachers," Dutch told Fox News Digital. "And I was yelling astatine nan different group … telling them, ‘Get down, get down.’"

Dutch, a Marine Corps seasoned who served successful nan Gulf War, was struck successful nan abdomen.  (Fox News Digital/David Dee Delgado)

Copenhaver inadvertently captured video footage of what appears to beryllium Crooks stepping complete nan tile of a adjacent American Glass Research (AGR) building, which was technically not portion of nan charismatic rally perimeter and was not parented by rule enforcement astatine nan clip of nan shooting.

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The 74-year-old remembers turning his caput to spot a floor plan showing immigration-related statistic that had conscionable appeared connected a projection surface erstwhile he heard nan first slug zip by him. Trump has credited that aforesaid projection pinch redeeming his life because he, too, turned his caput erstwhile nan gunfire began, and he walked distant from nan rally pinch his life—and a nicked ear—as a result.

WATCH COPENHAVER'S POV:

"I turned astir and I sewage a changeable present successful my near tricep, and past I turned astir and location was different slug that entered into my star plexus area," Copenhaver said. "I for illustration to jest a small spot and opportunity that nan slug that grazed maine present was nan 1 that deed Trump successful nan receptor because I thought I saw a small earwax connected my arm."

"Obviously, it wasn't," he added. "I mean, it's conscionable immoderate of nan barren joke that comes on from being successful a traumatic situation."

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: INEXPERIENCED SECRET SERVICE AGENT FLYING DRONE CALLED TOLL-FREE NUMBER FOR HELP

James Copenhaver, Trump assassination effort survivor, anterior to an question and reply successful Pittsburgh, PA, U.S., July 8, 2025.  (David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)

Ironically, neither Copenhaver nor Dutch were assigned to nan bleacher area wherever they were shot; Copenhaver was invited by personnel, and Dutch was initially told he was sitting successful nan incorrect location erstwhile he and a friend asked for support to beryllium successful nan bleachers.

"The only requirement, you sewage to beryllium loud," Dutch recalled nan charismatic telling him. He and his friend responded: "We tin do that."

Since nan shooting, Copenhaver has not been capable to laic connected his tummy for a year, and he has problem stepping up and down stairs. His woman and boy person dedicated overmuch of their ain clip to helping him. Dutch can’t do location attraction activity for illustration he utilized to; moreover mowing nan section takes days because he has to return predominant breaks.

Copenhaver, who served successful nan U.S. National Guard, was struck erstwhile successful nan limb and again successful his colon. Both are still receiving curen for beingness and psychological trauma. (Fox News Digital/ Dee Delgato)

The 2 men person been surrounded by conspiracy theories astir nan rally and why it happened; they moreover email each different immoderate of nan much chaotic takes they spot connected societal media, but neither of them springiness overmuch aerial to nan theories. They are much focused connected their recoveries, spending clip pinch family, and surviving life aft coming truthful adjacent to death.

"I would for illustration to walk much clip pinch my grandchildren. And get to a constituent wherever if I want to propulsion a shot aliases thing for illustration that pinch them, I can," Copenhaver said.

SECRET SERVICE BOSS SAYS VITAL INFO NOT RELAYED OVER RADIO, DELAYING RESPONSE TO WOULD-BE RALLY ASSASSIN

He besides wants to get backmost to riding his motorcycle, which he began riding successful 1969, and he hasn't been backmost connected his motorcycle since being shot.

Dutch said he conscionable wants to "get backmost to healthy."

I effort to punctual everybody, you ne'er cognize erstwhile your time's gonna come.

"I effort to punctual everybody, you ne'er cognize erstwhile your time's gonna come, truthful don't dwell successful nan past, and don't unrecorded your life conscionable to spell to activity and travel location and spell to activity and travel home. It's excessively short. Go retired location and unrecorded life. You ne'er cognize erstwhile it's gonna end," he said.

David Dutch walks from Trump rally pinch gunshot wounds. (Facebook/ Republican Committee of Beaver County)

The Independent Review Panel tasked pinch investigating nan July 13 assassination attempt published its last report successful October of past year, which recovered that nan United States Secret Service (USSS) "has go bureaucratic, complacent, and fixed moreover though risks person multiplied and exertion has evolved" and called for caller leadership, training, and updated reappraisal processes.

TRUMP SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW GUNMAN EVADED SECURITY

The study besides recovered that "[t]here were insufficient, and, successful fact, nary unit from nan Secret Service aliases different federal, state, aliases section rule enforcement specifically tasked pinch securing nan AGR building, nan AGR roof, aliases its environs."

Certain lines of show to Trump were unprotected, and nan rally "was plagued by various communications issues which... inhibited nan effective, timely dissemination of accusation astir Crooks." The study further noted "ambiguity among unit astatine nan tract regarding who had wide bid of nan site’s security."

President Donald Trump, nan Republican campaigner astatine nan time, is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents astatine a run rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, successful Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Prior to nan shooting, a Beaver County sniper took a photograph of nan suspicious antheral adjacent nan AGR building and a photograph of nan shooter utilizing a scope finder pointing toward nan stage, who was later identified arsenic Crooks. The sniper reported that accusation to the Pennsylvania State Police. The FBI antecedently said this sighting occurred astir 5:10 p.m. connected July 13, 1 hr and 1 infinitesimal earlier Crooks began shooting.

Crooks began firing astatine 6:11 p.m.

ATTEMPTED TRUMP ASSASSIN SEEN WALKING AROUND PENNSYLVANIA RALLY HOURS BEFORE OPENING FIRE

The Butler Farm Show, tract of a run rally for Republican statesmanlike campaigner erstwhile President Donald Trump, is seen Monday, July 15, 2024 successful Butler, Pa. Trump was wounded connected July 13 during an assassination effort while speaking astatine nan rally.  (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Soon afterward, erstwhile it became clear that a threat was connected nan tile of nan AGR building, an usability pinch Butler County ESU exited nan reddish barn from down the stage wherever Trump was speaking and monitored nan AGR building area, Adams Township Police Department Sgt. Edward Lenz testified successful September of past year.

The usability "quickly identified" wherever nan shots were coming from, located nan shooter, and fired 1 information astatine Crooks pinch his rifle, "which caused nan shooter to recoil and concisely autumn retired of sight," nan Adams Township serviceman testified.

BUTLER LAWMAKER SLAMS ‘INAPPROPRIATE’ TREATMENT OF LOCAL POLICE AFTER TRUMP INCIDENT: ‘THROWN UNDER THE BUS’

Trump supporters are seen covered pinch humor successful nan stands aft guns were fired astatine Republican campaigner Donald Trump.   (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

"He did this little than six seconds aft shots began… astatine a region of astir 110 yards," Lenz said.

A Secret Service antagonistic sniper past fired nan fatal changeable that neutralized Crooks connected nan tile of nan AGR building, wherever he was perched pinch a nonstop statement of show to Trump.

A schematic practice of nan position of nan sniper squad successful narration to nan would-be assassin astatine nan Trump rally successful Butler, PA connected July 13, 2024. (Fox News)

Witnesses mostly suggested that nan Secret Service's deficiency of guidance fixed to section agencies yet led to nan information failures that allowed 20-year-old Crooks to position himself connected a adjacent rooftop and occurrence astatine nan erstwhile president. Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned connected July 23, 2024.

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On nan time of nan rally, Crooks parked his conveyance and flew a drone betwixt astir 3:50 p.m. and 4 p.m. astir 200 yards from wherever nan erstwhile president would beryllium speaking. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified during a July 17 legislature proceeding that Crooks had been astatine nan rally tract for astir 70 minutes nan greeting of nan assassination attempt. 

Investigators located 8 casings connected nan tile wherever Crooks fired from.