The moment was meant to be historic. For the first time, on Saturday, April 25, Donald Trump attended as president the annual gala dinner organized by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA). But the social and political event, held at the Washington Hilton hotel, turned into a crime scene. A man opened fire outside the reception hall, at the security gates near the lobby, attempting to force his way in. Secret Service agents subdued and arrested him. Trump himself posted a photo of the assailant on Truth Social, shirtless and handcuffed with his hands behind his back, lying on the hotel carpet.
The evening had only just begun when gunshots rang out in the reception hall, prompting an immediate rush of agents onto the stage. They evacuated the president and those seated around him in front of the audience, including his wife, Melania, the vice president, JD Vance, and White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. The gunshots came from outside, at an upper level near the hotel lobby.
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