President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were evacuated Saturday night after a gunman breached a security checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, triggering panic among attendees before the suspect was swiftly neutralized by the Secret Service.
According to security footage and reports, the armed man sprinted toward the venue with a shotgun, exchanging fire with agents who pursued him. Within seconds, he was subdued before reaching the ballroom, where senior administration officials, lawmakers, journalists, and high-profile guests had gathered for the annual event.
Inside the packed ballroom, confusion turned to alarm as sharp cracking sounds echoed from outside. Initially mistaken by some — including the president — as the sound of falling dinnerware, the situation quickly escalated when armed agents flooded the room, shouting for guests to take cover. Attendees dove under tables as the head table was cleared and the president, who briefly stumbled during the evacuation, was rushed to a secure location along with the first lady.
Vice President JD Vance was also removed from the stage area, while other guests were relocated to secure rooms within the hotel. Witnesses described a rapid and coordinated response by law enforcement as heavily armed agents secured the venue and ensured the safety of those in attendance.
Among those caught near the scene was CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, who said he encountered the gunman moments after stepping out of a restroom. “I start hearing gunshots in the hall right near me, and the next thing I knew, a police officer threw me to the ground and was on top of me,” Blitzer said. “The gunshots were so loud, so frightening that they scared all of us. We had no idea what was going on.” He and others later sheltered in place inside the restroom.
Source: CNN