Last week, the right decision was made with the release of 15 calls made to Butler County 911 amid the campaign rally for Donald Trump on July 13.

The calls came into the 911 center after shots rang out at the rally for the former president at the Butler Farm Show grounds and were released only after NBC News, Scripps News and The Intercept filed petitions in September seeking to overturn denial of requests for the recordings made under the state’s Right-to-Know Law.

The county had denied the requests in July, saying 911 calls are generally exempt from Right-to-Know laws and cited a county policy that allows for the release of 911 recordings only under a court order or subpoena.

The news organizations appealed that decision to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, which denied the appeal in August. And then, the news organizations sued to have the transcripts released.

On Wednesday, a consent order was entered in the civil division of Butler County Common Pleas Court after Judge Kelley Streib held a status conference the week earlier with county solicitor Julie Graham and the attorney representing the news organizations.

Eagle staff writer Steve Ferris reported that the order to release 15 recordings of 911 calls recognizes the historical circumstances surrounding the recordings and says the court finds that balancing test of the public interest in disclosure versus the public interest in nondisclosure tips in favor of disclosing those records.

These calls were clearly of extreme public interest.

The Eagle’s own right-to-know request was then fulfilled and the audio published to Butler Eagle’s YouTube channel late last week in six parts.

Calls made to 911 include the wife of a 74-year-old Moon Township victim, attendees of the rally asking for help, and others from elsewhere calling on behalf of those at the rally.

During the rally, a Buffalo Township man, Corey Comperatore, died, two others were critically injured — including James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township — and Trump’s ear was grazed before the gunman was shot and killed by a countersniper.

Though these calls may be difficult to listen to at times, it's crucial that information like this be accessible to the public, especially amid an event of this scale.

The Butler Eagle felt it was important to post the calls in their entirety for the public to listen.

The county may not feel there are any “aha” moments in the recordings, but we think that’s up to the residents of Butler County and beyond to determine.

— TL