Possible Gunfire Near White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington Forces Evacuation; Suspect in Custody

President Donald Trump was evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington on Saturday night after what witnesses described as possible gunfire near the event’s screening area, prompting a major security response that halted the annual gathering. The Secret Service said Trump and first lady Melania Trump were safe, and multiple authoritative reports, citing law enforcement and pool coverage, said at least one person was taken into custody.

The incident unfolded shortly after 8:30 p.m. ET at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., where the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was underway. Witnesses reported hearing loud bangs near the ballroom entrance area, and the dinner was disrupted and later canceled at the request of law enforcement. Other protected officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance and senior officials in attendance, were also removed from the ballroom.

In a statement, the Secret Service said: “The U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department, is investigating a shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening area at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The president and first lady are safe along [with] all protectees. The condition of those involved is not yet known, and law enforcement is actively assessing the situation.”

Witness and pool reports described a chaotic scene as guests ducked under tables and agents moved quickly to secure the room and evacuate protectees. It was not immediately clear from the initial reporting whether shots were fired inside the ballroom or whether the suspect was stopped outside it near the screening area. The Associated Press reported that one law enforcement officer was struck in a bullet-resistant vest and was expected to be OK. Some very early reports conflicted on whether the suspect had been killed, but later reporting consistently described a person in custody.

Trump later posted on Truth Social: “Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended . . . I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement.” The event did not continue. White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang addressed attendees after the disruption, saying, “We will do this again.” The dinner is expected to be rescheduled.

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is an annual Washington event that brings together White House reporters, politicians and public figures and raises money for scholarships. It is also one of the few public occasions that places the president and the press in the same room. This year’s dinner drew added attention because Trump attended after skipping the event in earlier years, according to AP background.

The venue itself helps explain some of the uncertainty in the early accounts. The Washington Hilton is a public hotel: Guests entering the ballroom are screened, but adjacent hotel spaces are not always secured in the same way. The Secret Service located the incident near the main magnetometer screening area, rather than clearly inside the ballroom. As of the latest available reporting, authorities had not publicly established the identity or motive of the person taken into custody, the exact location of the gunfire, or any formal charges.