As guests began to indulge in the salad course at the White House Correspondents’ dinner on Saturday evening, unexpected gunfire erupted, causing alarm among attendees.
Reacting swiftly, people sought cover beneath their tables, including key figures at the front: President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who was seated alongside the First Lady.
By Sunday, Leavitt had unveiled a series of gripping photographs that captured the tense moments immediately before and after the incident.
One striking image depicted Leavitt standing beside the President, both intently observing a live broadcast from the ballroom.
Another photograph featured Leavitt positioned in front of the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, directly across from the President.
In the gathering, Leavitt sat close to Vice President JD Vance, surrounded by several senior aides.
Pete Hegseth and Stephen Miller were standing in the room next to JD Vance.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche were present in the Oval Office as well.
Karoline Leavitt shares dramatic behind the scenes photos in the Oval Office after gunman opened fire at White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Trump at the Resolute Desk at the White House surrounded by his cabinet and top staff
Karoline Leavitt off to the side in the White House press briefing room as Trump delivers remarks
Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, from left, Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defense, Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, and US First Lady Melania Trump during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US on Saturday, April 25, 2026
Marco Rubio also posted this behind the scenes image from Saturday night
White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung was behind Leavitt, and Katie Miller, wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, as well as Jennifer Hegseth, wife of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
The final photo Leavitt shared showed her off to the side in the White House briefing room as President Donald Trump addressed the nation and journalists after the shooting attempt.
The President gave a White House press briefing in the West Wing within an hour of the violence.
Leavitt is currently nine months pregnant with her second child, a girl, and held her final press gaggle before her planned maternity leave at the White House last week.
She attended the dinner with her husband, Nicholas Riccio.
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, from left, US First Lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, and Weijia Jiang, White House Correspondents’ Association president and CBS Senior White House Correspondent, during the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner in Washington, DC, US on Saturday, April 25, 2026
Nicholas Riccio and Karoline Leavitt attend the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner at Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, US First Lady Melania Trump and US President Donald Trump attend the White House Correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, a teacher from Torrance, California, was seen attempting to bolt past a security checkpoint while armed with a shotgun, a handgun and several knives on Saturday night.
He exchanged fire with Secret Service agents before they tackled him to the ground and arrested him. One agent was struck in his bulletproof vest and is expected to recover. No one else was harmed.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, an annual black-tie gala that brings politicians and journalists together, was barely underway when the Secret Service was forced to leap into action after a series of shots rang out.
Trump released surveillance footage of Allen, dressed in all black, sprinting inside the hotel with a gun in hand before he was rushed by armed guards.
Journalists in the room captured images of top administration officials getting rushed to safety.
Video footage showed Vice President JD Vance being frantically helped off stage by Secret Service agents, as Trump and Melania ducked for cover.
Clips then showed several agents reach for the President and quickly pull him to safety.
Other images showed chaos quickly unfolding, with one picture showing House Speaker Mike Johnson being rushed out of the venue by Secret Service members.
Another image showed Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and his wife, Cheryl Hines, ducking as they ran to safety.
Right behind them was Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and his wife Katie Miller.
After everyone was rushed to safety, the president spoke at a White House press briefing in the West Wing within an hour of the violence.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer Rauchet attend the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Cheryl Hines, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and his wife Katie Miller are escorted out of the room by Secret Service agents, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump was evacuated
‘It’s always shocking when something like this happens,’ he said. ‘I heard a noise and kinda thought it was a tray going down.’
Trump said that immediately, Melania Trump recognized the sound as a ‘bad noise,’ adding that ‘it was a rather traumatic experience for her.’
‘Melania was very cognizant,’ he continued.
The president also shared his wife’s fear for his safety, given the multiple assassination attempts against him.
Federal prosecutors have announced that Allen is being charged with two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
If convicted, Allen could face 20 years in jail for the assault, while the weapons charges come with a minimum of ten years with a possibility of life behind bars if fired.
