Two men wounded in a shooting incident at a Pennsylvania rally, where a gunman attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, have filed lawsuits against the federal government. James Copenhaver and David Dutch accused the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of negligence in their failure to secure the event site in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Both lawsuits, submitted on Monday in the Western District of Pennsylvania, hold the United States government responsible. The plaintiffs, supported by their wives, focused on the shooting location’s vulnerability, specifically the AGR Complex roof utilized by the shooter, Thomas Crooks.
“Congressional investigations also reviewed the USSS’s failures on the day of the assassination attempt, including Senate findings which concluded that the USSS’s failures directly led to the shooting complained of herein, including, but not limited to, that the USSS’s conduct consisted of a ‘cascade of preventable failures,'” the lawsuit states.
David Dutch sustained abdominal injuries requiring numerous surgeries, while James Copenhaver suffered abdomen and arm bullet wounds with fragments remaining in his body. The lawsuits highlight “preventable failures” by the Secret Service that allowed the shooting to occur.
The assassination attempt happened on July 13, 2024, during a rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds. Crooks narrowly missed Trump and was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper. Corey Comperatore, a former volunteer fire chief present at the event, tragically died while protecting his family.
The lawsuits emphasize the Secret Service’s failure to secure the complex roof despite known vulnerabilities. Broken communication and fragmented command posts were identified as contributing factors to the incident.
“The defendant United States of America, by and through the [Secret Service], committed egregious failures and failed to abide by and adhere to various protocols, policies, and procedures which directly and proximately caused the shooting and/or allowed it to occur,” the lawsuits read.
In addition to listing security failures, the lawsuits point to inadequate communication methods used by agents, such as relying on cellphones for communication instead of centralized radio channels. These issues obstructed the efficient transmission of critical safety information.
Prior to the shooting, authorities reportedly observed Crooks behaving erratically and conducted searches. The filed complaints argue that the Secret Service has acknowledged its failures, including communication breakdowns, technological issues, and human errors.
The lawsuits demand $150,000 in damages along with interest and attorney fees. Fox News has sought comments from the White House, Secret Service, and DHS.