Donald Trump and other dignitaries were hustled out of the White House Correspondents Dinner after shots were fired inside the Washington Hilton ballroom, turning a tightly managed gathering into a scramble for cover. Guests leapt under tables on Secret Service orders as heavily armed guards rushed the stage.
Trump, the First Lady, the Vice President, mentalist Oz Pearlman and WHCA boss Weijia Jiang were hauled from the ballroom as the alarm spread through the room. Ted Johnson of Deadline said he heard what sounded like four shots and said the sound seemed to come from the hall just outside the ballroom near his table.
The episode landed at a usually locked-down event that was supposed to be one of Washington’s most controlled public appearances. Instead, Linda McMahon's security told live on air that there was a shooter in the lobby and that he was dead, while Jeff Mordock of the Washington Times said the Secret Service told him the alleged shooter was in custody.
That leaves the central question answered: the evacuation happened because security believed there was an active threat in or near the hotel, and the people inside were moved out fast while agents tried to control the scene.
