Members of law enforcement respond during a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.Tom Brenner/AP
President Donald Trump and the first lady were rushed from the stage after gunfire erupted at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night—unleashing a chaotic scene at the annual gathering of journalists at the Washington Hilton in DC.
Wolf Blitzer, the CNN anchor, was outside the main ballroom when he said he heard powerful gunfire ring out, coming from a gunman just a few feet away. “The next thing I knew, was a police officer jumped on me and threw me on the ground and laid on top of me,” he said. “It was a very frightening moment.” Video from inside the event showed armed Secret Service agents racing to the stage to quickly escort the president away as stunned guests ducked under tables.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, President Trump posted on Truth Social that “the shooter has been apprehended,” and encouraged the event to “go on.” But soon after, the president was whisked back to the White House for a hastily convened press conference. In that appearance, the president confirmed that “a man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons,” but was quickly subdued by law enforcement. “The man has been captured,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trump posted an image of a man lying face-down on the carpeted floor of the venue surrounded by agents to Truth Social. Earlier, the New York Times reported that the gunman had been stopped near a security perimeter, though it remained unclear whether the shooter fired shots within or outside that perimeter. Amidst the shooting, a Secret Service agent was shot and hit on a protective vest, and was taken to the hospital, according to multiple news reports. The president later said the officer was “doing great.”
Trump took the opportunity to blame the security at the famed hotel. “This is why we have to have…what we’re planning at the White House,” he said, referring to plans for his controversial new ballroom to be built in place of the East Wing. “We need the ballroom,” he said. “They wanted the ballroom for 150 years.”
The Hilton ballroom was filled with journalists and top Trump administration officials, including the vice president and Cabinet members, for the event that is sometimes dubbed “nerd prom.” The dinner typically celebrates the role of the independent press and gently roasts the president.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.