Two Spectators Injured in Trump Assassination Attempt Sue U.S. Government, Allege Secret Service Security Failures

U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security in securing the July 13, 2024, campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds. The complaints state that the Secret Service failed to secure the AGR Complex roof despite prior warnings that it was a vulnerability.

They also allege that the agency established fragmented command centers instead of a single unified post and relied on cellphones to relay messages between trailers rather than centralized radio channels. Copenhaver was struck by two bullets in the abdomen and left arm, with fragments remaining lodged in his body. Dutch was shot in the abdomen and underwent multiple surgeries.

Both men are joined in the suits by their wives. The lawsuits cite Senate findings that described the Secret Service’s conduct as a “cascade of preventable failures” that directly led to the shooting. They also reference the agency’s own acknowledgment of “breakdowns in communication, technological issues, and human failure” that contributed to the incident.

The complaints further note that authorities observed Thomas Crooks acting erratically, using a range finder, and becoming the subject of a search in the hours before the shooting. Crooks grazed President Trump’s ear with a bullet and was killed by a Secret Service sniper seconds after opening fire from the rooftop.

Former volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore was killed while shielding his family.

They seek $150,000 in damages plus interest and attorney fees. Fox News reported that the agency has held numerous agents accountable through suspensions without pay, restricted duty assignments, and transfers to non-operational positions. Fox News has reached out to the White House, Secret Service, and DHS for comment.