Butler shooting survivors call out Secret Service in NBC News interview
The two men who were wounded and survived the shooting at a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler County have gone public for the first time since that day, blaming the Secret Service for the security failures that allowed it to happen.
In an interview with NBC News, Jim Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, and David Dutch, 57, of Plum, accused the Secret Service of negligence in its duty to protect both the former president and the public during the rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds. The interview aired during a recent edition of the NBC Nightly News.
“I believe there was 100% negligence on the Secret Service, probably everybody involved in setting that security, down to inter-department communications,” Dutch said. “The negligence was vast. It was terrible.”
“I’m sure there was negligence,” said Copenhaver, a retired liquor store manager. “It wouldn’t have happened, had it been secure.”
“The whole security setup was poor,” Dutch said.
Copenhaver and Dutch were both critically wounded during the shooting which is believed to have been an attempt on the life of Trump. A third man, Corey Comperatore of Buffalo Township, was killed protecting his family, and Trump was grazed on the right ear. The shooter was killed by sharpshooters.
“It was like getting hit with a sledgehammer right in the chest,” said Dutch, who served in both Desert Shield and Desert Storm in his time with the Marines from 1986 to 1992. He said he could see chunks of the bleacher and metal “flying all around” until the shooting stopped.
Both Copenhaver and Dutch say that they have experienced health problems after the shooting. Copenhaver says he is now forced to walk with a cane and has lost 30 pounds. Dutch said he’s lost 25 pounds and can no longer lift more than 10 pounds.
“I was just angry that the whole situation even happened,” Dutch said. “It should have never happened.”
The fallout from the assassination attempt led then-Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle to resign under pressure from lawmakers.
Attorneys for both men told NBC News that the two are planning to file a lawsuit and are investigating who to file suit against.
Trump returned to the farm show grounds Oct. 5 for a rally that included a memorial to Comperatore.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
