A number of harrowing 911 calls from former President Trump’s July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — where he was nearly killed when a gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop — have been released to the public for the first time.
The former president came millimeters away from being killed when 21-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle from a nearby rooftop, which was left uncovered by Secret Service. Several videos from the scene shows Trump supporters attempting to alert law enforcement just before the shooting, as Crooks was seen crawling on the roof with a rifle.
The gunman opened fire after he was confronted by local law enforcement, killing retired firefighter Corey Comperatore and wounded multiple others, including the former president.
On Wednesday, a series of chilling 911 calls from the shooting were released to the public for the first time. “Gunshots at the Trump rally!” one of the callers could be heard saying with panic in her voice. When the dispatcher stated that police were on their way, the Trump supporter replied with, “well, they better get here quick!”
“We are at the Trump assembly and there’s a guy shooting. He’s been shooting at the place,” another caller said.
Authorities have also released a 911 call made by the wife of Jim Copenhaver, who was critically wounded when Crooks opened fire. “Hey, this is Allegheny County. I have a female on the line. Her husband was shot at the Trump rally,” a 911 dispatcher can be heard saying before transferring the call.
Copenhaver’s name was edited out of the released call, though the victim was described as a 74-year-old man, which matches the Moon Township resident’s description. “Paramedic service, Tim. I called Butler Hospital. He’s not there. They told me to call 911,” Ms. Copenhaver can be heard saying.
Copenhaver sustained “life-altering” injuries as a result of the shooting, though he is recovering well after multiple surgeries, his family said in a statement back in July.
“The Copenhaver family would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support for James ‘Jim’ as he recovers from the injuries that he tragically sustained during President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024,” his family said in a statement. “Jim would like to especially thank the first responders, medics, and hospital staff who have provided him with initial and continuing care. Additionally, Jim would like to express his thoughts and prayers for the other victims, their families, and President Trump. He prays for a safe and speedy recovery for them all.”
David Dutch, 57, was also critically injured on July 13. Like Copenhaver, his wounds have required multiple surgeries, though he is otherwise recovering well. Former President Trump has remained in touch with both families — as well as the Comperatore family — in the weeks following the rally.
