President Trump evacuated from White House Correspondents Dinner after ‘shooting incident'

President Donald Trump and other high-ranking administration officials were abruptly evacuated from the room at the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner Saturday night following a “shooting incident.”

The agency later said all of its protectees, including the president and first lady, were safe, and the person involved in the incident was in custody. It was not immediately clear who fired the gunshots or what led to the incident.

Soon after the event began, and before the dinner service, Secret Service agents swarmed the ballroom at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where some reporters, administration officials and dignitaries ducked under their tables amid the confusion.

Security stopped the event and ushered Trump and other officials out of the room. Other attendees, including most of the journalists in attendance, remained in the ballroom.

In a post on Truth Social shortly after his evacuation, Trump said “the shooter has been apprehended,” and said a decision would be made soon about whether to continue the event.

Some attendees reported several loud bangs, but were unable to place them or identify the source.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C., said she was “taken out” of the main ballroom “after the sound of the shots fired.”

“The secret service is now in charge of this building, this hotel,” she said, adding that she’s spoken with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Police Chief Jeffery Carroll.

NBC News reached out to D.C. police, the Secret Service and the Justice Department for more information.

The White House Correspondents Association pool reported that members were told to get out of the way outside of the ballroom and several people were seen “screaming and running out.”

“Service is telling us to stay back, but we’re not moving out of the building,” the report said.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

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