United States President Donald Trump and several senior administration officials were abruptly evacuated on Saturday night after gunshots rang out during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner in Washington.
The incident occurred at the Washington Hilton Hotel, triggering a swift response from the U.S. Secret Service, which confirmed that a suspect had been taken into custody while the shooter was reported dead.
Trump was immediately moved to a secure location but later indicated his willingness to return to the event.
In a post on Truth Social, the president said a “shooter has been apprehended” and commended law enforcement officers for their swift response.
“I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON,’ but will entirely be guided by law enforcement. They will make a decision shortly,” Trump wrote, adding that the evening would be “much different than planned.”
Eyewitness accounts described scenes of panic inside the venue. CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer said he was “a few feet away” from the gunman when the shooting began.
“All of a sudden a guy with a weapon — a very, very serious weapon — started shooting, and I happened to have been a few feet away,” he said on air.
Weijia Jiang, president of the WHCA, told attendees the programme would resume shortly, urging patience as details continued to emerge.
“I know everyone’s going to want as many details as possible. And right now, we don’t have that,” she said.
Top officials present at the event included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Others evacuated included Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FBI Director Kash Patel.
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Reports indicated that First Lady Melania Trump was also escorted out alongside the president, while heavily armed members of the Secret Service’s Counter Assault Team took positions inside the hall.
Authorities flooded the area, with police units surrounding the hotel and helicopters seen circling overhead.
According to witnesses, loud bangs interrupted the programme, prompting security agents to shout “stay down” as they moved swiftly to evacuate key figures.
The disruption marks an unprecedented security scare at the WHCA dinner, a high-profile event attended by political leaders, journalists, and public figures. It was also notably Trump’s first attendance at the dinner as sitting president.
Earlier in the evening, Jiang had welcomed the president and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, describing White House coverage as “the best assignment in all of journalism.”