On July 13, the first 911 call in response to an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump came in at 6:12 pm during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The recently released 911 calls, made available following a report from an independent commission, reveal the chaos and fear experienced by attendees at the event.
The report, which examined the security failures, found that even an “unlimited budget” for the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) would not have prevented many of the shortcomings witnessed that day.
The first caller, a woman, frantically told the 911 operator, “Gunshots at the Trump rally. Gunshots—,” before being interrupted by the operator, who reassured her that police were en route.
The call, lasting only 15 seconds, was the beginning of a flood of emergency calls that captured the panic among rally-goers. According to NBC News, which obtained the recordings via a public records lawsuit, the chaos continued to unfold as more people called in to report the shooting.
One woman, only moments later, reported to 911, “We’re at the Trump assembly, and there’s a guy shooting. He’s been shooting up the place.” When asked if anyone was injured, she expressed uncertainty, replying, “No, no one’s injured. But I’m scared.” However, the reality was far more tragic.
The would-be assassin, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, managed to evade security due to communication and coordination failures between the USSS and local law enforcement. The report stated that even unlimited funding for USSS would not have resolved these communication issues.
The shooting left a devastating toll: three individuals were struck, with one fatality. Corey Comperatore, an attendee, lost his life, while two others,
David Dutch and James Copenhaver, were injured. Trump himself narrowly escaped a fatal shot, sustaining a minor injury after being grazed on the ear. Crooks fired eight rounds before a USSS sniper neutralized the threat.
Among the many distressing calls was one from a woman who reported her husband had been shot at the rally. She explained to the dispatcher, “Paramedics serviced him.
I called Butler Hospital. He’s not there. They told me to call 911.” This chilling report highlights the confusion and desperation that followed the attack.
The 911 center also received calls from individuals outside the immediate area. One call came from a man in North Carolina, who was worried about his mother attending the rally.
“She called me saying there’s an active shooter on the ground there,” the man explained. Other calls came from people whose relatives were at the rally, frantically trying to get information about their loved ones’ safety.
One especially harrowing call featured a woman whose mother was at the rally and witnessed the carnage. “A bunch of people are on the ground and she’s like screaming—,” the woman told the 911 dispatcher, her voice shaking.
The dispatcher assured her that police were already on the scene and working to control the situation, advising her to tell her mother to evacuate if possible.
The report from the independent commission concluded that the lack of coordination between the USSS and local law enforcement was a significant factor in allowing Crooks to get close enough to Trump to open fire.
Although USSS personnel were ultimately able to neutralize the shooter, the security breach exposed vulnerabilities in the way high-profile events are protected.
The July 13 attempt on Trump’s life wasn’t the only security incident involving the former president that summer. In a second attempt, Ryan Routh was arrested after trying to target Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course in Florida. Both incidents have sparked concerns about the USSS’s ability to protect high-profile individuals and led to calls for reform in its procedures and security protocols.
The release of these 911 calls and the findings of the commission have intensified scrutiny on the USSS and raised questions about its preparedness to prevent similar incidents in the future.
