On Wednesday, Pennsylvania officials released the 911 calls from the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during his Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on July 13.
The Intercept posted a 10-minute compilation of the calls on Wednesday as well. The calls were released following a lawsuit issued by The Intercept and other news organizations.
One minute after shots rang out at 6:11 p.m. EST, rallygoers flooded Butler County emergency services with calls expressing fear. Although police and Secret Service agents identified the shooter 25 minutes before the gunshots rang out — at 5:46 p.m. EST, according to ABC News — 911 operators reassured concerned callers that law enforcement was aware of the situation and handling it.
In one of the 15 audio files released, a woman urgently told the 911 operator, "Gunshot at the Trump rally." The operator responded that police were on their way, to which the caller replied, "Better get here quick." Similar exchanges unfolded in other calls, where operators assured attendees that the situation was being managed.
Screams could be heard in the background of multiple calls, amplifying the tension. One woman told an operator, "We are at the Trump assembly, and there's a guy shooting. He's been shooting up the place."
The aftermath of the shooting resulted in the tragic death of Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter, with two others injured — David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74. As relatives frantically tried to locate loved ones, operators struggled to provide information. In one call, a woman said her husband had been shot but couldn’t determine which hospital he had been taken to for treatment.
Despite Butler County initially withholding the 911 recordings, citing concerns over law enforcement investigations, public pressure and legal challenges ultimately led to their release.
In light of the calls, body camera footage from Butler Township police, released earlier, showed police officers criticizing the Secret Service for failing to secure the building where the shooter had positioned himself. Footage from one bodycam shows an officer repeatedly saying, "I f***ing told [the Secret Service] they need to post the guys f***ing over here."