U.S. President Donald Trump was abruptly escorted from the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington after what witnesses described as multiple gunshot-like sounds caused panic inside the venue.
The incident unfolded at the Washington Hilton, where attendees reportedly ducked under tables as loud bangs rang out near the ballroom during the high-profile event. Secret Service agents quickly moved the president out of the room, with senior officials including Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel also evacuated by security teams.
Eyewitnesses said agents shouted for guests to “stay down” as the situation unfolded, prompting confusion and fear among those present. While some reports suggested a possible shooter had been neutralised, there has been no official confirmation of the cause of the disturbance. The event marked a rare security breach at the annual dinner, with media and other attendees remaining inside the ballroom as authorities worked to assess the situation.
TRUMP RUSHED FROM STAGE AS SHOTS RING OUT
SHOOTER KILLED pic.twitter.com/ZZ4elIocQ6
— RT (@RT_com) April 26, 2026
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
