The White House Correspondents’ Dinner with U.S. President Trump and VP JD Vance was interrupted after a man carrying several firearms broke through the security perimeter at the Hilton Washington and fired on law enforcement.
The gunman failed to break into the ballroom where the event was taking place and was immediately taken down and arrested. One law enforcement officer was shot at close range but protected from severe injury by his bullet-proof vest.
After the president and vice president were whisked away from the stage and out of the room, heavily armed law enforcement scanned the crowd for additional threats while journalists and other attendees crouched under tables. Secret service agents evacuated cabinet members and senators as well as other dignitaries.
About two hours later, President Trump said he had heard a noise that he wasn’t sure was gunfire and was waiting to see what would happen but said, within seconds, he was whisked out of the room.
Multiple charges will be filed against the assailant and federal law enforcement officials were already executing search warrants as part of the ongoing investigation, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
FBI director Kash Patel praised the swift action of law enforcement agencies and committed to bringing the would-be assailant to justice.
In response to a question from the media about why this keeps happening to him, Trump responded, “The people that have the most impact are the people they go after.”
