While at a Washington hotel for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 25, Donald Trump was evacuated urgently after shots were fired near the ballroom where the event was taking place. The American president was able to return safely to the White House, while a suspect was apprehended by law enforcement.
Boycotted by Donald Trump for years, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner held at a large Washington hotel almost turned tragic. As the evening was just beginning on Saturday, April 25, the American president was urgently evacuated by the Secret Service after gunshots were heard, as reported by Le Parisien.
On images shared on social media, the American presidential couple can be seen sitting at a table chatting before shots were heard and the scene turned chaotic. “Get down,” several people shouted before protecting themselves by hiding under tables. As for Donald Trump, the American president was evacuated hastily by the Secret Service that burst onto the scene. “The president and the First Lady are safe, as are all the individuals under protection,” stated the agency responsible for safeguarding top American personalities, while specifying that a suspect had been apprehended.
Shortly after being evacuated to the White House, Donald Trump expressed thanks to law enforcement and the Secret Service, praising their “fantastic work”. “They acted with speed and courage. The shooter was apprehended and I recommended that the show must go on, but we entirely defer to the decision of law enforcement,” he stated on his Truth Social network. The evening was eventually cancelled, but Donald Trump promised that it would be rescheduled soon.
According to initial details released by the Secret Service, the shots occurred outside the room where the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was being held in a “controlled area”. Since the hotel entrance was accessible to everyone, only the ballroom was protected by strict controls and bag searches, as reported by several journalists on site.
During the White House dinner where many journalists were present, Fox News host, Sean Hannity, mentioned that the shooter forced his way through the security checkpoint near the entrance door before opening fire on law enforcement. Donald Trump later stated, during a late-night press conference, that the apprehended man was a California resident. While sharing a photo of the suspect – lying facedown with hands handcuffed – the American president emphasized that the individual was carrying multiple weapons.
“This is not the first time in recent years that our Republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin seeking to kill,” mentioned the occupant of the Oval Office. This is also not the first assassination attempt Donald Trump has faced. In 2024, during his campaign for another term as President of the United States, he narrowly escaped death, being grazed on the ear by a bullet at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Published on April 26 at 06:30, Kevin Comby, 6Medias
