A shooting scare at the high-profile White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night triggered panic, forced the evacuation of US President Donald Trump and top officials, and drew a stark warning from the President about the pattern of threats against the country.
Addressing reporters hours after the incident, Trump said the attacker, now in custody, is a resident of California and described him as “sick”, while linking the episode to past assassination attempts.
Gun scare sparks chaos, President evacuated within seconds
The evening descended into chaos after gunshots were reported in the lobby of the Washington Hilton, where hundreds of journalists, political leaders and officials had gathered.
Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance were rushed out of the ballroom by tactical teams and taken to a secure location. Other senior officials, including members of the Cabinet and FBI Director Kash Patel, were also confirmed safe.
According to reports, the shots were fired outside the banquet hall, not inside the main ballroom. An armed individual, stopped at a magnetometer, allegedly opened fire before being subdued by security personnel.
In a dramatic response, Secret Service agents stormed the stage with weapons drawn, shielded the President and evacuated him. Inside the hall, guests took cover under tables as confusion spread.
“The First Lady, plus the Vice President [JD Vance], and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition,” Trump said later. “Quite an evening in DC.”
‘Not first attack on our republic’: Trump cites pattern of threats
Linking the incident to past attacks, Trump said the country had faced similar threats in recent years.
“The law enforcement and DC police just spoke with the mayor… You see the attacker in different positions, but you also see the attacker totally subdued and under control… This is not the first time in the past couple of years that our republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin who sought to kill in Butler, Pennsylvania, less than two years ago… and in Palm Beach, Florida, a few months after that, we came close. We really had, again, some great work done by law enforcement…,” he said.
‘They go after impactful people’: Trump on repeated threats
Reflecting on why such incidents recur, Trump said high-profile leaders are often targeted.
“I’ve studied assassinations, and I must tell you, the most impactful people that do the most… that make the biggest impact, they’re the ones that they go after… I hate to say I’m honoured by that, but I’ve done a lot. We’ve done a lot.”
Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the attack as security agencies review protocols following the scare that rattled one of Washington’s most prominent annual events.
‘He was a sick person’: Trump on attacker, lone wolf angle
Speaking in the Press Briefing Room, Trump said the suspect was in custody and under questioning, with early indications pointing to a lone attacker.
“No… he was a guy who looked pretty evil when he was down… He was, in my opinion, a sick person… I think you’re going to find out everything about him… but tomorrow at this time, long before this time, you’re going to know a lot of things about him. They (law enforcement officials) seem to think he was a lone wolf, and I feel that too,” he said.
He added that there had been no prior warning. “No… There was no notification. We had no idea… Maybe we will be able to tell you tomorrow. He (the attacker) is in custody. They (law enforcement officials) are asking him a lot of questions… They are already at his apartment. It is California…”
‘We were whisked away’: Trump recounts tense moments
Trump described the seconds after the gunshots were heard, saying the situation unfolded rapidly.
“It was so shocking that something like that happened. It’s happened to me… That never changes. The fact that we were sitting right next to each other, the First Lady and I… I heard a noise and… I thought it was a tray going down… I’ve heard that many times, and it was a pretty loud noise. It was from quite far away. He hadn’t breached the area at all. They really got him,” he said.
“Melania was very cognizant of what happened. I think she knew immediately what had happened. She was saying, ‘That’s a bad noise.’ And we were whisked away along with other people… All of the law enforcement was really good. It was very quick. There wasn’t a lot of time to think because it was a matter of seconds before we were out the door.”
Event halted despite push to continue
Trump said he initially wanted the event to go on despite the scare.
“I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement,” he said, later adding that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.
“We very much wanted to continue it because I don’t like to let these sick people, thugs, horrible people change the fabric of our life… But we’re going to be doing one, hopefully, within the next 30 days or sooner.”
Praising the response, he said, “Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely.”
Call for unity, push for stronger security
Trump urged Americans to respond with restraint and unity.
“In light of this evening’s events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts to resolving our differences peacefully… There was a tremendous amount of love and coming together. I watched, and I was very impressed by that.”
He also raised concerns about venue security and called for enhanced infrastructure.
“We looked at all of the conditions that took place tonight, and I say it’s not a particularly secure building… It’s got drone-proof and bulletproof glass. We need the war room… today we need levels of security that probably nobody’s ever seen before,” he said.