Share Tweet By Billy Hallowell Editor
July 29, 2024

Weeks after a 20-year-old gunman tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump during a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the families of two men who were critically injured are speaking out.

The family of James “Jim” Copenhaver, 74, released a statement thanking supporters for their kindness and mentioned his “life-altering injuries” sustained during the shooting, Fox News reported.

Copenhaver was reportedly released from the hospital last Friday.

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“Jim would like to especially thank the first responders, medics, and hospital staff who have provided him with initial and continuing care,” the family said in a statement delivered through Allegheny General Hospital. “Additionally, Jim would like to express his thoughts and prayers for the other victims, their families, and President Trump. He prays for a safe and speedy recovery for them all.”

The family, who asked for privacy as the road to recovery continues, also expressed gratitude for those who cared for Copenhaver, KDKA-TV reported.

“Jim would like to especially thank the first responders, medics, and hospital staff who have provided him with initial and continuing care,” the statement added.

David “Jake” Dutch, 57, the other man critically injured during the assault, was released from the hospital last Wednesday. He was previously being treated for gunshot wounds to the chest and liver and was in a medically induced coma after the shooting, WPVI-TV reported.

“David and our entire family are especially grateful to all the first responders and medical professionals who saved his life, including the Life Flight and trauma surgical teams,” the family said in a recent statement. “We also offer our deepest condolences and prayers for the other victims of this tragic event and their families.”

As CBN News previously reported, Corey Comperatore, a former firefighter, was killed during the attempted assassination. Comperatore died while laying over his wife and daughters in an effort to shield them from gunfire.

The Comperatore family shared a statement with CBN News earlier this month in which the loving father was described as a “committed Christian who found peace and joy through [his] church.”

“He loved and cared for us, his family,” the family wrote. “Our family is finding comfort and peace through the heartfelt messages of encouragement from people around the world, through the support of our church and community and, most of all, through the strength of God.”

Read more about Comperatore’s story here.

Please continue to pray for Copenhaver, Dutch, Comperatore’s family, and others who are still coping with what they saw and experienced that tragic day.

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