Washington DC [US], April 26 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Saturday shared CCTV footage showing the entry of a shooter at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner venue and posted images of the detained suspect.
In a Truth Social post, Trump described the sequence of events, saying an armed individual attempted to force entry and was neutralised by security personnel. He praised the Secret Service and law enforcement for their swift response and said the shooter had been apprehended. Trump also said he recommended that the event “LET THE SHOW GO ON” but that law enforcement would decide whether to resume the program.
At a briefing-room news conference after the incident, Trump said he had spoken to the security officer who was shot and credited the officer’s vest for saving his life. “A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service… One officer was shot, but saved… the vest did the job. I just spoke to the officer, and he’s doing great,” he said.
Trump used the security breach at the Washington Hilton to argue for enhanced security measures and to push for a ballroom he is planning at the White House, calling it larger and more secure with features such as drone protection and bulletproof glass that, he said, justify Secret Service and military support for the project.
ANI reporter Reena Bhardwaj, who was at the dinner, described chaotic moments inside the ballroom after a loud noise initially mistaken for clattering dishes. Staff and attendees took cover; servers tried to secure themselves and guests. Bhardwaj said the president was ushered out and his Cabinet members were later escorted out, with security agents on stage carrying long guns. She named several officials who were evacuated and said organizers announced the program might resume, though no official word had come from the association at the time of her report.
The incident followed reports that suspected gunshots were fired in the Hilton lobby, prompting evacuation of President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance to a secure location by tactical teams.
The report noted this is not the first time Trump has been targeted: in July 2024 he was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The Secret Service said a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position; Trump was escorted offstage and seen bleeding from his ear in widely shared videos.
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