The White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton was disrupted on April 25 after attendees reported hearing gunfire and smelling gunpowder, prompting an immediate evacuation. President Trump and other senior officials were escorted out; Trump later posted that a shooter had been apprehended and praised law enforcement. The Secret Service confirmed a shooting near the main magnetometer screening area and said one person was in custody. Journalists and guests described diving under tables and sheltering while agents engaged the suspect.
Chaos at White House Correspondents' Dinner: Guests Report Gunfire; One Person Taken Into Custody
RFK Jr. escorted from White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25, 2026Credit: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty
The White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton was plunged into confusion on the evening of April 25 when attendees reported hearing what sounded like gunshots and smelling gunpowder. Guests and journalists were rapidly evacuated from the ballroom as law enforcement moved to secure the scene.
President Donald Trump and other senior administration figures were escorted out of the ballroom. Shortly after leaving the venue, the president posted on Truth Social praising the Secret Service and law enforcement and saying that the shooter had been apprehended. Organizers later confirmed he would not return to the hotel and planned to address reporters from the White House later that night.
Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi issued a statement confirming a "shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening area at the White House Correspondents' Dinner," adding that the condition of those involved was not yet known and that one person was in custody.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene that unfolded minutes after the formal introductions. After the audience had been invited to begin dinner, some attendees said they heard sounds resembling gunfire. Many dove under tables or sought shelter in restrooms and other secure areas as staff and security ushered people away from the ballroom.
Inside the Washington Hilton ballroom following the shooting on April 25Credit: Danny KEMP and AFPTV teams / AFP via Getty
Several journalists and other guests told reporters they saw a person rush a security entrance outside the ballroom and that Secret Service agents fired at the individual. Fox News anchor Bret Baier phoned into live coverage from a secured area in the hotel basement, saying he and others were told to run while evacuating.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer described sheltering with colleagues in a men's restroom and said he lost a shoe during the scramble. Blitzer also told reporters he believed he had witnessed the shooting and described the gunfire as "so loud, so frightening, that it scared all of us." His account was given live on air and to news organizations covering the incident.
"Secret Service and law enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely," the president wrote on Truth Social shortly after being escorted from the ballroom.
Authorities continued to secure the venue and gather information. Initial official statements emphasized that details were still emerging and that investigators were working to confirm the timeline and the condition of anyone who may have been injured.
Note: This article summarizes early reports from attendees and official statements issued in the immediate aftermath. Facts and details may be updated as law enforcement releases additional information.
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