President Trump, first lady Melania Trump and the Cabinet were evacuated from the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday night after shots were fired in the Washington Hilton’s lobby.
Three or four loud bangs were heard, according to reporters from The Hill who were attending the dinner.
People immediately dove under their tables to take cover, before the president, first lady and members of the Cabinet were rushed out of the Washington Hilton, where the annual dinner has been held for decades.
Other Cabinet members remained in the room after the shooting.
The Secret Service said a shooter was in custody, and that the incident had taken place near screening detectors people must walk through before entering the annual event.
It appeared the shooter was subdued before they were able to get into the massive ballroom where the dinner takes place. The press event has tight security; it is regularly attended by the president, Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, celebreties and the press.
“The U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department, is investigating a shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening area at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” Antony Guglielmi, Secret Service chief of communications, said in a statement.
“The president and the first lady are safe along with all protectees. One individual is in custody. The condition of those involved is not yet known, and law law enforcement is actively assessing the situation.”
Weija Jang of CBS News, the White House Correspondents Association president, later announced from the dais that “the program will resume,” and there were reports that Trump wanted to return to the Hilton. It was soon after canceled. Trump said it would be rescheduled.
Trump initially offered the following statement on Truth Social:
“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely,” he wrote. “The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we “LET THE SHOW GO ON” but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement. They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Later, Trump said he had been asked to leave the Hilton.
“Law Enforcement has requested that we leave the premises, consistent with protocol, which we will do, immediately. I will be giving a press conference in 30 minutes from the White House Press Briefing Room. The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition. We will be speaking to you in a half an hour. I have spoken with all the representatives in charge of the event, and we will be rescheduling within 30 days,” Trump said.
When the sounds of gunfire were heard, a person could be heard shouting, “Move, move!”
Guests were in the middle of the first course when the loud bangs rang out. Attendees quickly dropped to the ground with many getting under tables. At one point, what sounded like a few people began to chant “USA.”
People grabbed trays to give themselves cover, while women took their shoes off, Hill reporters at the event said.
People began standing up and crawling out from under tables roughly five minutes after the incident occurred.
Trump survived an attempt on his life during the 2024 presidential race when an assassin fired on him during a rally in Pennsylvania. The shooter killed one man attending the rally before he was shot and killed.
The Hilton itself was the site of an attempted presidential assassination in 1981 when John Hinckley Jr. shot President Ronald Reagan.
The Hill’s Judy Kurtz, Sarakshi Rai, Julia Manchester, Zach Schonfeld, Rema Rahman and Alexander Bolton contributed.
Updated at 11:09 p.m. EDT
