US President Donald Trump has told reporters he “fought like hell” to stay at the White House correspondents’ dinner after several shots were fired outside of the event.
Trump promised the gathering would be rescheduled to a later date while vowing to not “let anybody take over our society”.
“We’re not gonna cancel things because we can’t do that,” Trump said following the incident.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance were among those evacuated after witnesses reported hearing five to eight shots ring out.
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the banquet hall as hundreds of guests ducked for cover under tables.
“We wanted to stay tonight, I will tell you, I fought like hell to stay, but it was protocol,” Trump said.
“They said ‘please sir’, because there was a lot of action going on.
“They didn’t know, could there be, probably a lone shooter but we’ll find out, we’ll find out very quickly.
“They have it very well under control.“
Trump was told to get down when shots were heard at the event attended by about 50,000 people.
“The man has been captured, they’re going to his apartment,” Trump said.
“He’s a very sick person and we don’t want things like this to happen again.”
The news outlet reports Allen is a teacher and video game developer, citing public records.
A LinkedIn profile matching Allen’s name and photo described him as a part-time teacher at test preparation and tutoring company C2 Education.
C2 named Allen the company’s “teacher of the month” in December 2024, according to social media posts from the company.
CNN contacted the education company for comment but was unable to reach a spokesperson.
Allen is expected to be charged with shooting and weapons possession-related offences, Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
Loud sounds resembling gunshots could be heard in CNN vision from inside the dining hall, followed by screams as attendees scrambled for cover.
The shooting happened outside the ballroom on an upper floor near the security screening area of the lobby, where the restrooms are located.
“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck.
Several US Secret Service agents yelled, “shots fired”.
Trump later told reporters the reaction time of authorities was “great”.
He also posted an image without a caption, of a man being held on a carpeted floor.
“They seem to think he was a lone wolf, and I feel that too,” he told reporters.
Trump and all other guests were not physically harmed, but one Secret Service officer was shot.
The bullet struck the office’s bulletproof vest and they were taken to hospital.
“I just spoke to the officer, and he’s doing great,” Trump said.
Police said they’re examining the scene and speaking to witnesses.
A motive for the shooting is yet to be established.
In posts to Trump’s Truth Social page, the alleged gunman was pictured handcuffed on the carpeted floor of the Hilton Hotel.
Other members of Trump’s Cabinet who were also in attendance were also rushed out.
Trump released a statement after he was evacuated from the ballroom, insisting he wished to return to the dinner.
In a post to his Truth Social platform, Trump said Secret Service and police officers did a fantastic job on “quite an evening”.
“They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we “LET THE SHOW GO ON” but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement,” he said.
“They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again.”
The dinner was later cancelled and will be rescheduled over the next 30 days, Trump said.
Veteran reporter gives eye-witness account
Veteran CNN reporter Wolf Blitzer said he was just a few feet away from the gunman when he opened fire.
Wolf Blitzer had just left the men’s restroom on an upper floor outside the ballroom at the Hilton Hotel when he saw a man with “a very, very serious weapon.”
“All of a sudden I heard these loud, very loud, very scary gunshots right near me. Next thing I knew, a police officer threw me to the ground and was on top of me,” Blitzer said.
“I didn’t see all the details, but I did see the gunman on the ground after he started shooting,” Blitzer told CNN.
The officers took him back in the the men’s restroom where about 15 other men were also taking shelter.
The CNN anchor said the gunman was just “a few feet away” from him when the gunfire began.
“I did see the gunman on the ground after he started shooting. Police officers threw him to the ground but he was still shooting. And I could hear the shots going off,” Blizter said, adding that there were a lot of police there to secure him quickly.
Not a “particularly secure building”, Trump admits
Generally, the Hilton hotel, where the dinner has taken place for years, remains open to regular guests during the White House Correspondents Dinner.
Security has typically been focused on the ballroom, rather than the hotel at large, with little screening for people not entering the dinner itself.
In past years, that has created openings for disruptions in the lobby and other public spaces, including protests in which security moved to remove guests who unfurled banners or staged demonstrations.
Trump admitted it’s not a “particularly secure building”, adding that’s why he “needs the ballroom” he’s trying to build at the White House.
“Today we need levels of security that probably nobody’s ever seen before.”
Trump attended the high-profile dinner for the first time as president, after skipping the event last year and during his first term in office.
The correspondents’ dinner gathers politicians and journalists on the last Saturday in April to celebrate the First Amendment and the role of a free press.
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.
Source link
