Inside the White House Correspondents' Dinner when Shots Rang Out: Here's What CBS News Journalists Saw and Heard.
Guests ducked under tables as law enforcement swarmed the ballroom, and the shooter was apprehended, President Donald Trump said.
- On Saturday, April 25, 2026, shots were fired outside the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents' Dinner, forcing guests, including President Donald Trump, to take cover under tables as the incident disrupted the high-profile evening gathering.
- Protesters from the group Code Pink lined up along Connecticut Avenue to chant as guests entered the secured zone. While attendees describe the event as among the best-secured in the city, others have questioned the access protocols for the hotel.
- Amid the chaos, actress Cheryl Hines, wife of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said security "lift me over chairs." Northwestern University student Kaitlin Bender-Thomas also sought cover, later describing the scene as a "violent event" that left guests terrified.
- Sustaining a non-fatal injury, a Secret Service agent was shot in their bulletproof vest. Law enforcement received praise on Truth Social for acting "quickly and bravely," as the shooter was apprehended shortly after the disturbance occurred.
- Proliferating conspiracy theories emerged across social media platforms following the shooting. For the journalists present, the event left an undeniable emotional impact, as attendees grappled with the realization that an evening meant to celebrate the First Amendment had turned violent.
32 Articles
32 Articles
Firsthand account: Katie Pavlich describes chaotic moments after WHCD shooting
When NewsNation anchor Katie Pavlich sat down at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, she was not expecting to end up on the ground as yet another would-be assassin attempted to take the president out.And looking back on the events of that night, Pavlich tells Glenn Beck on “The Glenn Beck Program” that she’s feeling “anger and frustration that this continues to happen.”“Being in the room and watching Karoline Leavitt, who’s nine months pregn…
ISU student recounts chaos, fear at White House Correspondents’ Dinner in D.C.
An Iowa State student describes the moment confusion and fear spread through the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, as guests took cover amid uncertainty about a possible threat.
What It Was Like Inside the Ballroom During the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
WASHINGTON—An evening meant as a celebration of the First Amendment and the journalists who cover the White House went from glitz and glamour to fear and confusion in a matter of moments on April 25 when an attacker attempted to rush through security at the Washington Hilton hotel by shooting at Secret Service agents. Nearly 3,000 guests dressed in tuxedos and gowns were packed into the approximately 29,000-square-foot International Ballroom, wh…
Liz Landers and Lisa Desjardins describe chaos at Correspondents' Dinner shooting
White House correspondent Liz Landers and Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins were at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and joined Geoff Bennett to discuss the chaos in the room that night.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources are Center
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