Victims of the Trump assassination attempt seek accountability: 'It will come to light'

A Pittsburgh lawyer representing the two men injured in the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Trump is demanding accountability following their life-altering injuries.

At the rally, James Copenhaver, 74, and David Dutch, 57, were critically injured after being shot twice.

Joseph Feldman, an attorney at the Law Offices of Max C. Feldman, stated on Planet Chronicle Digital Monday that he believes they will uncover the truth behind the shooting that changed his clients' lives. He mentioned that they may use the congressional task force, investigations, or a lawsuit to achieve this goal. Feldman's office is currently exploring various options to hold those responsible accountable.

"We're limited in our ability to … conduct a full investigation, but it will come to light." — Joseph Feldman

Despite some setbacks, Copenhaver and Dutch are recovering from their injuries at home with their families and are "on the path to recovery," according to Feldman.

The gunman, Thomas Crooks, managed to get onto the roof of the nearby one-story American Glass Research (AGR) building and shoot at Trump from about 150 yards away, leaving both victims with unanswered questions about how he was able to do so despite the building being located outside the official perimeter of the rally.

"Feldman stated, "We are the United States of America, and we invest heavily in security resources, particularly through the federal government. When attending a rally to support a politician, the security is provided by the federal government, yet it fails.""

"I think that's their biggest question — how could this happen?" — Joseph Feldman

The FBI Director Christopher Wray testified during a July 17 congressional hearing that Crooks had been at the rally site for about 70 minutes on the morning of the assassination attempt. Copenhaver and Dutch are also wondering how Crooks was able to park his vehicle and fly a drone about 200 yards from where the former president would be speaking between about 3:50 p.m. and 4 p.m. that day.

What is the reason for not shutting down the airspace, or why did the federal government not deploy their own drones to monitor the scene and track the movements of individuals days in advance? Feldman, a seven-year veteran of the U.S. Army who spent a year in Afghanistan, pondered this question.

The investigators are still questioning about the identity of Crooks, the contents of his phone, how he obtained the firearms, and how he obtained explosive devices.

"[A]ll these security measures in place in this country, and this individual shooter seems to just kind of slip through the cracks." — Joseph Feldman

Feldman reflected on his own experience in the U.S. military.

"Feldman inquired, "Not all information shared with leadership reaches the top. Even when you're aware of something happening, you may not be authorized to act or you might not have the necessary orders. Given my experience serving in Afghanistan for a year, where we ran thousands of miles of missions, I'm curious how close anyone ever got to us.""

The task force of the House wants to hear from informants and whistleblowers to determine how the 20-year-old thief managed to climb the HVAC equipment and piping to reach the roof of the AGR building and hide there until he started shooting at 6:11 p.m.

During a July press call, the FBI stated that the suspect who entered the area of the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds, where Trump's campaign rally took place, had a DPMS AR-15-style gun with a collapsible stock.

On July 7, three days after the Trump campaign announced the Butler rally on July 3, Crooks traveled to the rally site and spent approximately 20 minutes in the area, according to the FBI. That same day, he researched how far Lee Harvey Oswald was from President Kennedy when Oswald assassinated him in 1963.

In 2023, a crook began taking shooting lessons and made 25 online gun purchases using an alias in the spring.

The AR-15-style rifle used by Crooks at the rally was legally purchased by his father and transferred to him, and Crooks also legally bought 50 rounds of ammunition from a local gun store the day of the rally.

According to attendees at the rally, people were pointing to a person on the AGR roof before gunfire began. A video shared exclusively with Planet Chronicle Digital from Copenhaver's perspective at the rally shows a figure that appears to be Crooks clearly walking across the roof of the AGR building just three minutes before he began shooting.

WATCH JAMES COPENHAVER'S POV:

Feldman stated that the Secret Service's job is to protect the president, not to listen to his speeches or statistics on immigration. He explained that in an open field with people yelling and snipers nearby, the Secret Service must be vigilant and ready to act quickly if necessary.

"We saw it in the video. We all watched Thomas Crooks walk right across that rooftop from below, where the shooters were positioned from a lower vantage point." — Joseph Feldman

The FBI and Congress confirmed that authorities first spotted a suspicious person near the rally site an hour before the shooting began. Local law enforcement notified command about the suspicious person and received confirmation that the Secret Service was aware of his presence.

Despite being detected by law enforcement over an hour before the shooting, it remains unclear how Crooks managed to evade security. However, the FBI is currently working around the clock with over 300 agents and staff to gather information and create a clearer timeline of Crooks' actions.

The agency stated that investigators found eight rounds on the roof where the Crooks fired from.

Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old husband and father of two girls who served as a fire chief for the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department, was killed by Crooks 11 minutes after Trump took the podium around 6 p.m., an hour after he was scheduled to speak.

The FBI is investigating Crooks' motive for the assassination attempt and whether he had any accomplices, despite the agency stating that there is no evidence of others being involved.