Prime Minister Narendra Modi denounced the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association gala, expressing gratitude that President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and the Vice President were unharmed.
In a statement on X, Modi conveyed that he was “grateful to learn” that Trump, the First Lady, and the Vice President emerged unscathed from the security breach at a hotel in Washington DC. He offered his heartfelt wishes for their ongoing safety and emphasized that violence is incompatible with democracy and must be firmly denounced.
Secret Service agents quickly whisked Trump and Melania Trump away from the dinner on Saturday night after a man discharged a shotgun towards security staff, officials confirmed.
An FBI agent informed Reuters that the assailant directed fire at a Secret Service officer. Trump later mentioned that the agent’s bulletproof vest saved him, and he was in “good condition.”
Authorities apprehended the suspect, whom Trump referred to as a “disturbed individual.” All federal officials in attendance at the dinner, including Trump, remained unharmed.
During a White House press conference, Trump remarked, “A man rushed a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was subdued by some incredibly courageous members of the Secret Service.”
Closed-circuit television footage shared by Trump on Truth Social depicted a man hastily dashing through a security checkpoint, briefly catching security personnel off balance before they brandished their weapons.
“He charged from 50 yards away, so he was quite distant from the room. He was in motion. He was really moving,” Trump noted, adding that officials suspect the assailant acted independently.
“He looked quite menacing when he was down,” Trump stated, mentioning that federal agents were investigating the suspect’s residence in California.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service, Anthony Guglielmi, mentioned the agency was probing the shooting incident at the primary screening area close to the event’s entrance.
As the shots were fired, attendees at the dinner froze before pandemonium ensued. People yelled, “Get down, get down!” while many of the 2,600 guests took cover, as waiters rushed towards the front of the dining hall.
Security agents rapidly pushed high-ranking officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, to the ground for their protection.
Personnel in tactical gear stormed the stage and evacuated Trump and the First Lady. Some agents positioned themselves on stage, aiming rifles into the ballroom, while cabinet members were escorted out individually.
The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, a key event in Washington’s social calendar, took place in the basement ballroom of the Hilton hotel and was attended by senior officials and cabinet members.
Trump and the First Lady crouched behind the dais before agents led them away. Trump remained backstage for about an hour, during which he was overheard stating, “We are staying,” according to a source mentioned by Reuters.
Trump later expressed his hope that the dinner could be rescheduled within 30 days.
The incident follows two assassination attempts targeting Trump in 2024 during his reelection campaign. In July 2024, he sustained a gunshot wound to the upper ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the assailant was killed by security.
Two months afterward, agents discovered an armed man hiding in shrubs at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Authorities treated it as an assassination attempt, and the perpetrator received a life sentence in February.
The Washington Hilton, host of Saturday’s dinner, was also the location of the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, who was shot and injured outside the hotel.
