A shooting incident erupted during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, leading to immediate chaos and the evacuation of high-profile guests, including President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
Event Overview and Witness Accounts
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is a significant annual event for journalists, drawing numerous reporters and anchors from major news organizations like CNN. Eyewitnesses described a scene of sudden panic and disorder as the shooting occurred on Saturday night.
- Wolf Blitzer (CNN): Recounted being thrown to the ground by an officer after witnessing an assailant shooting nearby. He stated that police ushered him into a men's room for safety.
- Jake Tapper (CNN): Was inside the ballroom and observed Secret Service agents moving through the aisles, noting that people were taking cover under tables due to the distress.
- Eyewitness Accounts: Several attendees reported hearing multiple gunshots and seeing glass shatter from above as the incident unfolded.
- Jeanine Pirro (US Attorney for the District of Columbia): Described the atmosphere as intensely tense, noting the sudden silence in the ballroom followed by the visible presence of numerous law enforcement officers.