White House dinner shooting: US President Donald Trump was rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner after a shooting incident near the venue in Washington, according to Reuters .
Panic after loud noise
The incident began with a loud, unexplained noise near the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was being held. Witnesses said it sounded like gunfire, with some reporting hearing multiple shots. Inside the hall, the mood shifted quickly as shouts of “Get down, get down!” were heard and guests ducked for cover.
Trump escorted out
Within moments, Secret Service agents moved in and escorted Trump and First Lady Melania Trump out of the venue. The evacuation was carried out swiftly as security personnel took control of the situation.
BREAKING: President Trump and First Lady are rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
It is unclear what led up to the evacuation, but attendees of the event were seen on video feed ducking and covering around their tables. pic.twitter.com/GbbXmL223t
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 26, 2026
Hall cleared, security tightened
The banquet hall, filled with journalists, officials and public figures awaiting Trump’s speech, was evacuated. National Guard personnel were deployed inside the building, while security outside was tightened. Authorities later sealed the area and treated it as a crime scene.
Following reports of shots fired at the White House Correspondents Dinner, reports say that the U.S. Secret Service now has a suspect in custody. Footage here shows the moment the purported shots were fired.
More to come. pic.twitter.com/iGRfYWadAb— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 26, 2026
‘A shooter has been apprehended’
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “A shooter has been apprehended,” adding that he and Vice President JD Vance were safe. The US Secret Service also confirmed that one person was in custody.
Investigation under way
The president says he has just posted on social media a picture of the man in custody and security camera footage of what appears to be the start of the shooting.
Officials said the shooting occurred near a screening area outside the main event space. The Secret Service said the condition of those involved was not yet known and that law enforcement agencies were continuing to assess the situation.
