FIRST ON FOX – David Dutch, one of the two surviving victims of a July 13 assassination attempt against former President Trump at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, issued a statement Wednesday evening for the first time since he was released from Allegheny County General Hospital last month.
Dutch, a 57-year-old Marine veteran, was shot twice while standing in the bleachers behind where Trump was speaking from a stage when gunfire rang out at 6:11 p.m. on July 13.
“David, his wife, Sheree, and the rest of the Dutch family wish to express their sincerest gratitude for the enormous level of support that they have received from their friends, their fellow Americans, and everyone else, whether domestic or abroad, that have kept David and his family in their prayers,” the Dutch family said in a statement through his attorney at The Law Offices of Max C. Feldman.
They also thanked “the brave men and women that saved his life, including, but not limited to, the police officers, the medics, the life flight crew, and the medical professionals of Allegheny General Hospital, as well as those who continue to care for him as he navigates the road to recovery.”
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David ‘Jake’ Dutch is a Marine Corps veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. (Facebook)
“Further, David and his family wish to express their thoughts and prayers for the family of Corey Comperatore, who died a hero while shielding 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 cower in face of 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,” the statement continues.
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Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures with a bloodied face as multiple shots rang out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
Comperatore, a husband, father of two and former fire chief for the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department, died after he was shot while protecting his wife and daughters from gunfire.
Both Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, who was also shot twice and critically injured at the rally, have retained attorneys Nicholas Feldman and Joseph Feldman of the Law Offices of Max C. Feldman “to protect their best interests as they navigate the most challenging time of their lives.”
Trump slumped before being whisked away by Secret Service with injuries visible to the side of his head. Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter and one audience member are dead and another was injured. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
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Federal authorities are still working to determine the motive behind shooter Thomas Crooks’ assassination attempt on Trump.
The FBI is asking anyone with information about the incident to send tips to FBI.gov/butler or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.