Following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania in July, 15 recordings of 911 calls made during the incident were released. The calls captured the panic and chaos surrounding the shooting, with callers reporting gunshots, injuries, and the shooter being taken down by Secret Service. Investigations into the incident revealed systemic lapses in the Secret Service’s planning and communication with local law enforcement.
Another assassination attempt on Trump was thwarted in Florida. Trump later returned to the site of the first attempt for another rally behind bulletproof glass and heightened security. The released 911 call recordings captured the frantic calls from rally attendees and loved ones of those in attendance. They detailed a woman reporting her husband being shot, a man calmly asking for a paramedic, and a man calling from North Carolina after his mother phoned him from the rally.
Initially, Butler County officials denied public records requests for the 911 call recordings, citing exemptions in the state’s Right To Know Law. NBC News, Scripps News, and The Intercept sued for access to the recordings, arguing that the public interest outweighed any potential restrictions. Attorney Joy Ramsingh stated that the political, historical, and national significance of the assassination attempt made it crucial for the recordings to be released. The release of the recordings shed light on the events of that day and the immediate aftermath of the shooting, giving insight into the terrifying experience for those involved.
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