Summary Seven to eight gun shots were fired. A shooter has been apprehended. An officer was injured in firing
- Seven to eight gun shots were fired; Trump says a shooter has been “apprehended.”; Trump and other attendees evacuated unharmed
- The first lady, Melania Trump, as well as other members of the Trump cabinet, were also rushed out of the room by Secret Service agents.
- Serious questions raised about security; Trump in a press conference says that one Secret Service officer was shot from a very close distance in the incident
WASHINGTON (Reuters/Web Desk) – President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner by Secret Service agents on Saturday night after a man armed with a shotgun tried to breach security, officials said.
The armed man fired at a Secret Service agent, an FBI official told Reuters. The agent was hit in an area covered by protective gear and not harmed, the official said.
Other members of the Trump cabinet, were also rushed out of the room by Secret Service agents.
All federal officials, including Trump, were safe. About an hour after Trump was rushed from the event, he posted on Truth Social that a "shooter had been apprehended."
"Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job," Trump added.
'GET DOWN, GET DOWN!'
Shortly afterwards, he posted, "The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition." He said he would be holding a White House press conference on Saturday night.
Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesman, said the service was investigating a shooting near the main screening area at the entrance to the event.
After the sound of shots, dinner attendees immediately stopped talking and people started screaming “Get down, get down!" Many of the 2,600 attendees took cover while waiters fled to the front of the dining hall.
Security agents pushed cabinet officials to the ground, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Other security personnel in combat fatigues stormed the stage and evacuated Trump and his wife. Some security personnel took up position on the stage, pointing their rifles into the ballroom. Cabinet members were then evacuated from the venue one by one.
Trump and the first lady bent down behind the dais before being hustled out by Secret Service officers. Trump stayed backstage about one hour, a source told Reuters. "We are staying," he was overheard saying, the source said.
The event eventually was canceled for the evening. Trump posted on social media that he hoped it could be rescheduled in 30 days.
Saturday was the first time Trump has attended the correspondents' dinner as president.
He was the subject of two assassination attempts in 2024, after he left the White House in 2021 and while he was campaigning for reelection.
The most serious occurred while Trump was campaigning at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. Trump was shot and wounded in his upper ear by a 20-year-old gunman. The gunman was shot dead by security personnel.
Just over two months after the Butler shooting, Secret Service agents spotted a man wielding a gun and hiding in bushes at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Trump was on the course. It was deemed an assassination attempt and the suspect was sentenced to life in prison in February.
The site of Saturday's dinner, the Washington Hilton, was the scene of an attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan, who was shot and wounded by a would-be assassin outside the hotel in 1981.
THE ATTACK
Attendees of the dinner ducked under tables amid scenes of widespread confusion during the incident.
Trump, who was seated on a stage at the front of the ballroom next to first lady Melania Trump, was quickly surrounded by U.S. Secret Service members, while many attendees ducked under their tables.
Video of the event shows the president being ushered off the stage a few seconds later, as armed guards wearing tactical gear and large rifles appeared on the dais.
Numerous other top Trump administration officials were at the event, including Vice President JD Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“I know everyone is going to want as many details as possible, and right now we don’t have them,” she said from the stage.
U.S. Attorney for Washington Jeanine Pirro, who was attending the event, said in a social media post that the Secret Service “is now in charge of” the building following the shooting.
A shooter has been taken into custody, according to members of the White House pool with President Trump.
TRUMP URGED EVENT TO CONTINUE AND SAYS SHOOTER APPREHENDED
"I have recommended that we “LET THE SHOW GO ON” but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement.
"Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again," he said.
Seven to eight gun shots were fired, according to a security official at the event who is familiar with the fast-moving situation.
There were conflicting reports about whether the suspected gunman was killed or taken into custody.
SERIOUS QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT SECURITY
Major questions remain surrounding this shooting incident, but in the immediate aftermath it has already raised concerns around the security arrangements for the White House Correspondents Dinner.
The event at the Washington Hilton is attended most years by the president and several Cabinet secretaries and other senior administration officials, in addition to hundreds of journalists.
Attendees are required to go through airport-style security to gain access to the main ballroom where the dinner takes place. There is also security outside of the hotel itself.
In theory, it should be as secure an event as possible in Washington. There haven’t been any similar incidents at past White House correspondent dinners. But the fact that it happened tonight will no doubt put a spotlight on security at this event going forward.
TRUMP TO SPEAK SHORTLY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
President Donald Trump is expected to speak shortly from the White House briefing room, after gunshots were heard at the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton.
Reporters are gathering in the room, still wearing their tuxes and formal attire from the dinner, to listen to the briefing.
We'll continue bringing you updates here, and you can watch live at the top of this page.
A SECRET SERVICE AGENT WAS SHOT, SAYS TRUMP
Trump in a press conference says that one Secret Service officer was shot from a very close distance in the incident, but saved by his bullet-proof vest.
"I just spoke to the officer, and he's doing great," Trump says. "He has very high spirits, and we told him we love him and respect him, and he's a very proud guy."
This is a developing story; more to come
