3 min readApr 26, 2026 07:09 PM IST
Chaos broke out on Saturday night (Washington time) after gunshots were heard in the lobby of the Washington Hilton. US President Donald Trump and senior administration officials were quickly escourted away from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
CNN journalist Wolf Blitzer, who was present at the venue, shared his eyewitness account, saying the ballroom was suddenly shut and it was a very frightening situation. In the video, ambulance sounds and loud noise could be heard.
Blitzer said, “All of a sudden, a man with a very serious weapon started shooting. I was just a few feet away from him.” He added that he had stepped out after the starters to go to the men’s room. “As I was walking, I heard gunshots. Police grabbed me and took me into the men’s room. There were about 15 men inside,” he said.
First signs of trouble
“Who knew something like this would happen?” said Reuters journalists, who were present in the hall.
First signs of trouble came around 8:35 PM when a few strange dull thuds were heard. The room suddenly fell silent.
Then the doors of the Washington Hilton ballroom burst open. Just moments earlier, nearly 2,600 guests had been calmly having dinner. Donald Trump was seated at the main table with his wife Melania Trump and deputy JD Vance.
Within seconds, there was panic all over the place. Waiters rushed through the hall. Security agents quickly moved in, taking senior officials off the stage, while others were pushed to the ground and moved under tables for safety.
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Donald Trump and Melania Trump hardly move, at first
Reuters journalists told the agency how everything changed in seconds. One moment it felt normal, the next, there was fear.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump at first hardly moved as the noise spread across the room. “I thought it was just a tray falling,” Trump later said.
Officials said a gunman forced his way past a security point and fired, hitting a Secret Service agent before being stopped.
Inside the ballroom, security agents rushed in. Trump quickly crouched as officers pulled him from his chair. Security teams in combat gear stormed the stage. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was rushed away. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin was pushed into a side room. House Speaker Mike Johnson was led out as agents grabbed his jacket.
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They said, “it felt like the evening turned from a formal dinner into chaos within moments.”
Backstage, Donald Trump wanted the event to continue and said he still planned to speak. But the Secret Service advised him to leave, and the dinner was cancelled. He later said it would be held again within 30 days.
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