An armed incident that occurred during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner caused panic on Saturday evening, April 25, in Washington. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were urgently evacuated by special service agents from the room at the Washington Hilton hotel where the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was taking place.
During the rapid evacuation, Trump seemed to lose his balance and stumble, in a moment caught by video cameras, as he was withdrawing.
Subsequently, the entire hall was evacuated, as were the members of the American Government, from the head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, to the head of American diplomacy, Marco Rubio, according to Libertatea. The police surrounded the area, and helicopters flew over the center of the American capital.
A Secret Service agent was shot during the incident, but survived thanks to his bulletproof vest. Donald Trump praised the intervention of law enforcement, describing their response as “very impressive”.
“What an evening in Washington. The Secret Services and law enforcement did an extraordinary job. They acted swiftly and bravely. The shooter was apprehended and I recommended that “the show must go on”, but we fully trust the law enforcement’s decision. They will make a decision shortly“, Trump wrote on social media after the incident.
FBI Director Kash Patel has confirmed that the suspect has been apprehended. It appears to be a 31-year-old individual from California. Investigators are analyzing the evidence, and witnesses are being interviewed.