Shots were fired during the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD) at the Washington Hilton ballroom on Saturday evening, prompting the immediate evacuation of President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President, and other high-profile attendees by Secret Service. Guests were ordered to take cover under tables as heavily armed agents secured the venue.Tactical teams with guns drawn took position on the stage where Trump had been sitting during dinner before he was evacuated.
Trump and the First Lady rushed out of the White House Correspondents Dinner.
— Pyotr Kurzin (@PKurzin) April 26, 2026
Colleague just text me saying there were multiple gunshots and people ducking for cover pic.twitter.com/HZcc47LaFu
A separate White House Pool Report from Jeff Mordock of the Washington Times stated that Secret Service indicated the alleged shooter is in custody - however CNN is reporting that the shooter is dead. Trump and the First Lady were reported safe after a rapid evacuation shortly after arriving at the event. No injuries to attendees or dignitaries have been confirmed in initial accounts.
This was President Trump’s first appearance at the WHCD as sitting president (he had boycotted the event during his first term). The dinner is an annual black-tie affair organized by the White House Correspondents’ Association that traditionally features journalists, politicians, and celebrity guests.The incident erupted after the welcoming speech and during dinner, before Trump was due to speak.
As per media reports, The Washington Hilton where Saturday's gala was taking place was the site where Republican President Ronald Reagan was shot by a would-be assassin in 1981. The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) invited Trump this year despite his repeated attacks on the media. The move had drawn backlash across newsrooms, and hundreds of journalists signed an open letter asking attendees to call out Trump's press restrictions. Unlike all other presidents from the past 100 years, Trump has never attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner while in office -- until now.
Report further stated that less than an hour after a shooter was neutralized in the lobby and the President was rushed out by Secret Service, Trump back to deliver his remarks at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
Newsinc24 Team

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