A Trump supporter who was shot twice during the attempted assassination of the former president last month has spoken out for the first time since leaving the hospital.
David Dutch, a 57-year-old Marine, issued a statement Wednesday night through his attorney expressing gratitude to everyone for their support since he was shot while backstage where the former president was speaking on July 13.
He had initially been placed in a medically induced coma for gunshot wounds to the chest and liver.
‘David and his wife, Sheree, and the rest of the Dutch family wish to express their sincere gratitude for the tremendous level of support they have received from their friends, their fellow Americans and all others, whether domestic or foreign, who have kept David and his family in their prayers,’ the statement said. In a statement to Fox News, he said:
The family also thanked “the brave men and women who saved his life, including but not limited to the police officers, doctors, rescue flight crew, and medical professionals at Allegheny General Hospital, as well as those who continue to care for him as he navigates the road to recovery.”
David Dutch, a 57-year-old Marine, has spoken for the first time since leaving the hospital.
‘Additionally, David and his family would like to express their thoughts and prayers for the family of Corey Comperatore, who died a hero while protecting his wife and daughters from oncoming gunfire at the rally, for James Copenhaver, who survived two gunshot wounds at the rally while exercising his fundamental right to freely express his support for a political candidate, and for President Trump, who did not shrink from danger and continues his fight to Make America Great Again and restore America’s position as the most powerful and economically sound country in the world.’
Both Dutch and Copenhaver, 74, who was also shot twice and seriously injured, hired attorneys Nicholas Feldman and Joseph Feldman of the Law Offices of Max C Feldman “to protect their best interests as they navigate the most difficult time of their lives.”
Copenhaver is still recovering at a rehabilitation facility, according to his attorney, who said he was hit in the arm and abdominal area.
“He almost saw or heard something whizzing past him, which we assumed was a bullet,” attorney Joseph Feldman said.
“He felt it in his arm and he looked down at his arm… and he felt pain at first, but at that point he didn’t even realize he had been shot a second time. It could have been shock.”
James Copenhaver, 74, was also shot twice and seriously injured.
Both Dutch and Copenhaver were at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire, missing the former president but killing 50-year-old Corey Competore.
The shooter has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Copenhaver even captured chilling video of the assassination attempt, showing a dark figure running across a rooftop moments before the former president was shot.
In FIn the footage, obtained by Fox Digital, the figure briefly appears on a rooftop overlooking where Trump was being cheered by the cheering crowd during his rally.
He appears to look at Trump before continuing to run across the roof. At the same time, Trump turns around and looks almost directly at his would-be assassin before running off.
Three minutes after the explosive video was taken, Crooks unleashed a hail of eight bullets that hit Trump, Copenhaver and Dutch.
Crooks was eventually killed by a Secret Service sniper, but major questions remain about the security breaches that allowed him to carry out the attack.
The robbers missed the former president, but attacked Dutch, Copenhaver and killed 50-year-old Corey Competore.
The lone gunman was identified as a suspicious person prior to the shooting and was seen wandering around the scene of the event in the hours leading up to it.
A disturbing video filmed by someone in the crowd appears to show Crooks stalking a building that he would scale 60 minutes later to get the perfect vantage point from which to target Trump.
According to the FBI, he managed to reach the roof of the AGR building by climbing over HVAC equipment and pipes and jumping across several roofs.
Police became aware of a suspicious individual near the protest site about 90 minutes before the shooting began and took photographs of Crooks at the scene.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was forced to resign amid backlash over the gaffes.
The motive of the criminals remains unclear and the FBI is still investigating.
The FBI is still trying to investigate the motive for Crooks’ attack. A classmate told DailyMail.com that he had already been investigated for threatening to “shoot up” his school when he was just 15.
The incident was not taken seriously at the time, but is now being investigated by the agency.
In his first interview after the assassination attempt, Trump said he survived “by luck or by God.”
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