Gunfire at the Washington Hilton Saturday night abruptly halted the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. A man allegedly armed with two firearms and knives breached a Secret Service checkpoint outside the ballroom. He was stopped by law enforcement before he could reach the dinner where President Trump and 2,600 guests had gathered. A Secret Service officer was hit by a round and protected by a bulletproof vest, authorities said.
Here is a moment-by-moment account of the events, according to authorities and eyewitness accounts. All times are eastern daylight time.
8:34:29 PM: Security checkpoint is breached
A person barrels at full tilt through a Secret Service metal detector, stunning a half dozen officers nearby. He’s sprinting so fast he nearly clips one officer in plainclothes, who draws a sidearm. A swarm of officers chase after him.
The security checkpoint is separated from the 30,000square-foot ballroom by a staircase. About 2,600 people are inside, one floor below, eating an appetizer course of bread and salad.
Security camera video of the breach is posted by Mr. Trump on Truth Social.
8:34:33 PM: Rapid fire of gunshots is heard
A series of rapid gunshots can be heard in the ballroom. On the dais where President Trump is seated, the gunshots are muted, if audible at all. Some think a member of the waitstaff had dropped serving trays. For guests in the back of the venue, closer to the incident, the sound and smell of gunpowder are unmistakable.
At the time shots were fired, mentalist Oz Pearlman, the entertainer for the evening, can be seen at the head table performing a trick for Mr. Trump, first lady Melania Trump, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang.
Pearlman later confirms to CBS News he was trying to guess the name of Leavitt’s unborn daughter who is due next week.
It takes more than 20 seconds for the president to be whisked off stage by his security detail.
Around 8:34:35 PM: Guests take cover
Guests in the raised seating area at the back of the ballroom begin to take cover on the floor and under tables. Some take out their phones to shoot video of the unfolding scene.
Around 8:34:40 PM: Security rushes in
Moments after the shots, security officers rush up the center aisle, climbing over chairs and fanning out to their protectees. Some Cabinet members and members of Congress are crouched under tables.
8:34:45 PM: Trump is evacuated
Secret Service agents run on stage. An agent grabs Vice President Vance – who is still seated at the head table – by the shoulders, and pulls him out of his chair. He is escorted offstage within four seconds, while the president is still on stage.
Across the stage, a Secret Service agent stands in front of Mr. Trump, blocking him from view. Mr. Trump remains seated, the first lady visible next to him, while Pearlman stands behind them holding a paper from his trick.
At the same moment Vance exits the stage, the first lady starts to lower herself to the floor, and four seconds later President Trump starts to get out of his chair after agents yell to “stay down.”
Leavitt and others seated at the head table get on the ground. Two Secret Service agents pull Mr. Trump up and start to escort him offstage. After taking several steps, Mr. Trump is lowered to the ground and covered by four agents. Leavitt exits the stage at a crouch. Mr. Trump then stands back up, and he and the first lady are escorted offstage by Secret Service. Mr. Trump exits the stage 20 seconds after Vice President Vance.
8:35:47 PM: Security sweeps continue
Law enforcement with guns drawn occupy a stairwell at the rear of the ballroom. An agent shouts: “Is anyone in the kitchen? Is anybody in the kitchen?” Behind a swinging set of doors a nervous kitchen staff is lined up and stands with arms raised as agents, weapons drawn, clear the area.
8:37 PM: Administration officials escorted out
Security details start moving dignitaries from the ballroom.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche are escorted out as dinner attendees continue to take cover under their tables. A Capitol Police detail hustles House Majority Leader Steve Scalise through the room.
9:17 PM: Trump posts on social media
Mr. Trump posts on Truth Social that the shooter has been apprehended and that he “recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement.” He adds: “Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again.”
9:39:12 PM: “We run to a crisis, not from it”
Jiang returns to the podium to announce the dinner will not go on as scheduled. She adds that the president insists the dinner be rescheduled in the next 30 days.
“I said earlier tonight that journalism is a public service, because when there is an emergency, we run to the crisis, not away from it,” Jiang says to the room full of reporters. “And on a night when we are thinking about the freedoms in the First Amendment, we must also think about how fragile they are.”
