REPORTS of possible gunfire disrupted a high-profile political dinner in Washington on Saturday night as security teams rushed to evacuate guests and secure the venue while US President Donald Trump was in attendance.
Witnesses and AFP reporters said loud bangs were heard inside the Washington Hilton hotel, prompting panic among attendees at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where guests reportedly took cover under tables as security alerts unfolded.
Tactical officers armed with weapons were later seen taking positions on stage where Trump had been seated earlier, before he was evacuated from the area. Police units swarmed the hotel while helicopters circled overhead.
US media, including CNN, reported that Trump was unharmed.
A pool report cited the Secret Service as saying an alleged shooter had been taken into custody, although this was not independently confirmed.
Unverified reports also suggested that one person may have been injured, though details remained unclear and authorities had not confirmed the cause or circumstances.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after the event’s opening speeches and during dinner service, before Trump was due to address attendees.
Cabinet official Mehmet Oz was quoted as saying: “shots fired upstairs” as security escorted officials out of the building.
Organisers later indicated the dinner would continue despite the disruption, though confusion persisted among attendees and officials regarding the exact nature of the security threat.
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) had extended an invitation to Trump this year despite his long-standing criticism of the media.
The decision had sparked backlash within parts of the press corps, with hundreds of journalists previously signing an open letter calling for scrutiny of his press policies.
The annual event, often referred to as the “Nerd Prom”, brings together journalists, political figures and media executives in Washington for a fundraising dinner supporting scholarships and journalism awards.
Trump had not previously attended the event while in office, unlike all other US presidents over the past century.
Saturday’s venue, the Washington Hilton, is also historically significant, having been the site where President Ronald Reagan was shot in an assassination attempt in 1981.
The latest scare comes against a backdrop of heightened concern over Trump’s security history. In 2024, he survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman opened fire from a rooftop, killing a spectator and grazing Trump on the ear.
A few months later, another individual was arrested after a Secret Service agent detected a rifle barrel protruding from bushes near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.
That earlier Butler attack, carried out by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, resulted in one fatality before he was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper.
Authorities have not yet provided further details on Saturday’s incident in Washington, and investigations are ongoing. - April 26, 2026
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