President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Association dinner event in Washington, Saturday, after shots were fired near the venue.
A witness said they heard security yell outside in the corridor at an individual to stop before a commotion and a series of gunshots. The Secret Service said the alleged shooter is in custody, according to a White House pool report.
“The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON' but will be entirely guided by Law Enforcement,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
“Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different from planned, and we'll just plain have to do it again,” he said.
Attendees hid below their tables, and Secret Service agents evacuated Trump, Vance and other top government officials at the time of the shooting.
The dinner is expected to resume proceedings, according to an announcement in the ballroom. It's not clear whether Trump will end up returning, however.
US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said that the Secret Service has assumed control of the hotel. She added that DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is en route to the scene, along with Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery W. Carroll, who will take command upon arrival.
Rudy Sahay, Managing Partner of Aquarian Holdings, said he'd just stepped out of the room and was headed up a staircase when the event unfolded.
“We took a few steps up and we heard ‘Stop stop stop,' a boom and then pop pop pop,” he said.
John Lambert, a dinner attendee and the president of Boat Evolution Inc., said he was walking toward the bathroom and saw a man sprinting past security to the stairs down to the ballroom. Several security officers immediately chased him, and many shots — perhaps as many as 20 — were fired at the person running toward the stairs, he said. Lambert said he was immediately ushered into the men's restroom.
Trump's presence at the dinner is unusual for him. US presidents have historically attended the event, but Trump has skipped most of the dinners since his 2016 presidential election victory, becoming the first president to avoid the dinner since Jimmy Carter, who did not attend in 1978 and 1980.
The dinner is a fundraiser with proceeds going in part to scholarships for journalism students. But the affair has also been a magnet for celebrities who mingle with politicians and members of the press. As it's grown in size and attention, the event has been criticised as illustrating a too-cosy relationship between journalists and the people they cover.
No further details about the shooting are known, including how many shots were fired or whether anyone attending the event was injured.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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