Trump rushed off stage after gunman opens fire at White House correspondents' dinner

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shortly after they arrived at the high-profile event on Saturday, April 25. 

This followed gunshots heard inside the Washington Hilton. Trump was seated on the dais when the shots were fired. The Secret Service said a person was taken into custody after “a shooting incident” near a security screening area.

VIPs evacuated as ballroom locked after shooting

Besides Trump, his cabinet members were also evacuated from the event at the Washington Hilton.

Several top administration officials were in attendance, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Eyewitnesses told The New York Post that at least four shots were heard inside the Washington Hilton. The gunman carried out the shooting at the metal detectors outside the ballroom.

President Trump and First Lady Melania were dramatically evacuated 30 minutes after arriving at the annual event hosted by the White House Correspondents' Association.

The Secret Service has reportedly locked down the hotel as scores of reporters remain inside.

Journalist says everybody went under table

“We were sitting here, and we just heard a loud ‘pop, pop, pop.’ Everybody just went under the table, and we didn’t know what was happening,” NewsNation White House correspondent Kellie Meyer said over the phone shortly after the disturbance.

Meyer said she saw Cabinet members being escorted out of the Washington Hilton, where the program was held.

In the Washington Hilton ballroom, Deadline's Ted Johnson said, "I heard what sounded like four shots, and it seemed to come from the hall just outside the ballroom near my table."

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, who was inside the Washington Hilton at the time of the shooting, described hearing multiple shots after dinner service began.

“It’s very, very worrisome what happened,” Blitzer told CNN, recounting how the chaos unfolded “just coincidentally after they served the appetizers.”

Harrowing video of event surfaces online

Video from the gala showed a few shots fired in the lobby of the Washington Hilton. More than 2,000 guests—including journalists and Trump officials—took cover under tables.

Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt were among those quickly escorted out of the ballroom by Secret Service agents.