(AFP) – Shots were fired as US President Donald Trump attended a media gala in Washington on Saturday night, with the gunman detained at a screening area just outside the hotel ballroom where hundreds of guests had gathered. Trump was rushed off the stage and security teams swarmed past groups of invitees at the black-tie White House Correspondents’ Dinner, as people dived under tables in chaotic scenes.
“Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended,” Trump said on social media. He said he would shortly hold a press conference at the White House. “Law Enforcement has requested that we leave the premises,” he added. “The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition.” He said he planned to re-schedule the event within a month despite the security scare.
The Secret Service confirmed that one suspect was in custody, adding the shooting incident took place near the main security screening area. Tactical teams with guns drawn took position on the stage where Trump had been sitting during dinner before he was evacuated. Police swarmed the Washington Hilton Hotel, and helicopters hovered overhead.
The incident erupted after the welcoming speech and during dinner, before Trump was due to speak. Trump administration officials appeared to have been evacuated first and uncertainty remained as to what exactly happened. A cabinet official, Mehmet Oz, said “shots fired upstairs” as he was rushed out by security.
Trump was the target of an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in 2024. A gunman fired several shots, killing a rally goer and lightly wounding the president in the ear. A few months later, another man was arrested after a Secret Service agent saw the barrel of a rifle poking from the bushes on the perimeter of the West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing a round.
The Washington Hilton where Saturday’s gala was taking place was the site where Republican President Ronald Reagan was shot by a would-be assassin in 1981. Organizers told guests that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner would continue despite the incident, before announcing it had been postponed. Trump was attending the event for the first time while in office.
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) invited Trump this year despite his repeated attacks on the media. Unlike all other presidents from the past 100 years, Trump had never attended while in office. The “Nerd Prom,” as attendees dub it, brings together hundreds of Washington journalists and media executives to raise funds for scholarships and awards. The event often has a comedian joking about the president, who traditionally gets his own back with some jokes, though no comedian was booked this year.
burs/bgs/acb – Aurélia END, Danny KEMP
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