Shots fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Here’s what we know
Gunshots broke out at the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday night, causing President Donald Trump and the first lady to be escorted from the event.
The investigation is ongoing, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Todd Blanche, who said charges will be filed soon.
“I promise you justice will be served,” Blanch said.
Here’s what you need to know.
Is the president safe?
President Donald Trump and the first lady were escorted from the event, Trump said during a Saturday night press conference. When the incident unfolded, Trump said he was shocked and that at first he thought it could be trays falling.
“It’s always shocking when something like this happens to me,” Trump said
Was anyone shot?
During the press conference, Trump said one Secret Service officer was shot. The officer was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of the incident.
“He was shot from a very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job,” Trump said. “I just spoke to the officer, and he’s doing great.”
What do we know about the suspected shooter?
The Associated Press reported the suspected shooter is Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. During the press conference, Trump said the suspected shooter was from California and that investigators will search his apartment.
“He was a guy who looked pretty evil when he was down,” Trump said.
What was it like inside the venue?
Trump was on stage when the shooting took place, he said during the press conference. He said he was “whisked away” from the event. Meanwhile, attendees crouched for safety beside tables.
“We were whisked away, along with other people,” he said. “It was very quick, there wasn’t a lot of time for thinking. Because it was a matter of seconds before we were out the door.”
One attendee, CNN reporter Wolf Blitzer, said he was “a few feet away” from who he believes was the gunman at the time of the shooting.
“All the sudden a guy with a weapon, it was a very, very serious weapon, it starts shooting, and I happened to have been a few feet away from him as he was shooting,” Blitzer said.
Sounds of screaming and what appeared to be “plates shattering” rang through the venue, according to New York Times reporter Shawn McCreesh.
“A Secret Service agent in a tuxedo had escorted me to the men’s room moments before the shooting began in the hall just outside,” McCreesh wrote in a live blog. “We heard screaming and what sounded like plates shattering. We darted out of the bathroom. As we turned the corner, other agents had their guns drawn and pointed directly at us. They started screaming at us to run across the hall and get low.”
Who else was there?
U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Bonsall, said he was among those in attendance.
“I was there at the event tonight,” Issa said in a post. “And I’ll be there again or anywhere else to support this president.”
What is the White House Correspondents’ Dinner?
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is the main fundraiser for the White House Correspondents’ Association, according to its website. It raises funds for scholarships, events and programs.
The annual event began in 1921 and every president has attended at least once since President Calvin Coolidge in 1924, according to the association, which itself formed in 1914.
“The original mission was to keep Wilson from ending his press conferences,” The White House Correspondents’ Association said on its website. “The group has expanded its mission to pushing for broader access to the White House and supporting vigorous reporting on the presidency.”
The dinner has been a source of internet memes and criticism of the press corps’ relationship with federal officials.
