No one reported injured. First reports are the shots were fired just outside the ballroom. The President was evacuated and the dinner canceled.
Trump will have a further statement later this evening.
Cnn story here …
Trump rushed off stage after shots fired at White House Correspondents’ Dinner | CNN Politics https://share.google/j1kw28EzEFCv5c4dO
How the heck could anyone get a gun into an event like that?
Please keep commentary that’s not directly updating the Breaking News in this thread:
They didn’t. The shooting was at the security screening. So I suppose the security screening worked as intended.
Just in: Suspect in custody is a 30-year-old male from California.
Source: CNN.
ETA: A Secret Service officer was shot, but his bulletproof vest saved him.
Seems to me to be an ill-conceived plan. He thought he was going to sneak a gun past security? What happened, did he pass through a metal detector and when it went off, pulled it out and started shooting?
I’m too lazy to change the channel. Taking one for the team, and watching Trump speak about the incident.
Check off “nobody’s ever seen” on your Bingo cards.
“This is why we need a ballroom.”
Very pleased with reactions of Secret Service and Law Enforcement. Glad the agent who was shot is OK. Suspect in custody. WHC dinner will be bigger and better event, in 30 days.
“I fought like hell to stay, but they said, 'Sir, it’s protocol.”
Thanks, @Spoons.
Todd Blanche speaking now.
Again, appreciative of law enforcement. Charges will be filed shortly. “Anything we can get on this guy.” Investigations started: FBI, Metro Police, etc. Thanks to press corps for their courage.
Yep. Trump had to mention the ballroom.
Kash Patel speaking now.
Thanking all agencies for fast response. Weapon and shell casings recovered. “Very best of America tonight, thanks President and VP for their support for law enforcement.”
Gives an 800 number to call if you know anything or can help. We will examine all evidence.
Shortly before the WHCA dinner, White House Barbie made a Freudian slip:
“I will tell you this speech tonight will be classic Donald J. Trump. It’ll be funny. It’ll be entertaining,” Leavitt, who is preparing to go on maternity leave, said.
“There will be some shots fired tonight.”
He’s going to talk about this for days. All those people fighting him over the ballroom hate keeping people safe.
Trumps takes questions.
Q: When you knew there was a threat, can you describe how you felt?
A: [Describes incident, what he heard, etc.] “Maybe I should have gone down faster. Whisked away, with Melania. Really quick, matter of seconds to out the door. I don’t want these thugs to change what we do. I was set to rip it tonight, I’ll be boring next time.”
Q: Report that shooter assembled his weapon on site; why do you think this kees happening to you?
A: I’ve gone through this before. They go after the ones who have done a lot like Abraham Lincoln. Big names. We were a laughingstock, now we’re not, thanks to me. Big people, they go after.
Q about reaction time. Going fast, hard to keep up.
Q: Were you aware of any threats beforehand? Was shooter after you?
A: I think so. We had people throughout the room.
Q: Motivations?
A: Don’t know. They’ll be talking to him, maybe an answer tomorrow.
Q: Was he wearing anything that might indicate part of a group, or lone wolf?
A: Don’t know.
“When you’re impactful, they go after you.”
Q: Any links to Iran?
A: Don’t know.
Phew! Short break. Need another beer.
Q: Level of confidence that this was a lone actor?
A: That’s only my impression, but these are sick people, wacko people. But shortly we will know more about him.
Q: Concerns about political violence?
A: Well, I’m here. Like race car drivers, bull riders. Dangerous profession being president. [Sidestepping question to make it about himself?] We have the greatest country, hottest country in the world, but that comes with risks.
Q that I missed.
A: Comments about greatest military, greatest military, Iran, economy, stock market, “we did it [50,000 on the Dow] in a year, they said it would take five.” Terminated Obama’s Iran agreement. I’m honored to be a target.
Q: How was the gun brought in, how does this impact you as leader of the country?
A: I do what I do for the country. Dangerous for Melania too. I heard noise, they got us out. We appreciate it. Little different evening than we thought, but we’ll do it again, and better. [Not really an answer to the question.]
Q I could not hear.
A: Some of these people are genius IQ, but they’re nuts. Impressive how fast they got him [shooter]. It comes with the territory. Look at what happened to some of our greatest presidents, you do something, this happens. You do nothing, it doesn’t.
End of press conference.
Note that my posts are necessarily paraphrased in spots. I cannot type fast enough to keep up word-for-word, but I did the best I could. Hope that’s OK with everybody.
I couldn’t last 30 seconds listening to him. Thank god for Top Chef.
I saw most of Trump’s remarks. He made a big deal that assassination attempts are only made on Presidents doing consequential things. I know that when I think of Presidents who made seriously impactful changes Garfield, McKinley and Ford are at the top of my list.
I caught this part. He went on about how only great men get targeted for assassination. Nobody tries to kill presidents who do nothing. He is honored to be among the ones who people want to kill. Of course, he couldn’t remember who any were except Lincoln. What a douchebag.