April 25, 2026. Shots at the Correspondents’ Dinner
UPDATE: The NY Times reports that a suspect is in custody.
The ballroom of the Washington Hilton buzzed with the familiar energy of Washington’s most celebrated press tradition — black ties, bright lights, and the quiet electricity of power and media sharing the same air. Then, the night shattered.
According to CNN and other outlets, shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, and President Donald Trump was swiftly escorted off stage by Secret Service agents. Vice President JD Vance and Cabinet members were also confirmed safe.
CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, standing just outside the main ballroom, found himself only feet from the gunman. “The shooter was clearly on the ground shooting when I saw him,” Blitzer recalled. Police ushered the veteran journalist to safety as chaos unfolded around him. Notably, CNN reported that Blitzer saw the shooter inside the secured perimeter.
Trump later posted on social media that “the shooter has been apprehended,” praising law enforcement for acting “quickly and bravely.” He said he was returning to the White House at law enforcement’s request and would hold a news conference soon. The dinner, he added, would be rescheduled within 30 days.
This has not yet been labeled an assignation attempt, but it is highly likely for someone to have taken such a high risk at that particular moment with the President in the next room. There have been several prior assassination attempts.
Butler, Pennsylvania — July 13, 2024
At a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a 20-year-old gunman named Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a rooftop just outside the security perimeter. A bullet grazed Trump’s right ear, killing one attendee and wounding two others before Crooks was shot and killed by Secret Service. It was the closest a sitting or former president had come to assassination since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. The FBI investigated how the shooter was able to position himself on an elevated rooftop with a clear line of sight to the stage.
West Palm Beach, Florida — September 15, 2024
Less than two months after Butler, federal agents thwarted what authorities described as a second assassination attempt at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old North Carolina man, was found hiding in the treeline along the golf course perimeter with a rifle, a scope, and hours of apparent patience. A Secret Service agent spotted the rifle barrel and opened fire. Routh fled but was apprehended shortly after on a nearby highway. He was later convicted on federal charges including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate.
Today — Washington, DC, April 25, 2026
Tonight’s incident at the Washington Hilton marks the third known attempt in less than two years, and the first to occur at a formal indoor event with multiple layers of security screening in place. The fact that the shooter reportedly made it past magnetometers raises serious questions about venue security protocols for high-profile political gatherings. Details about the suspect’s identity and motive are still emerging.
Note: The April 25, 2026 incident details are sourced from CNN’s live coverage. Background on the 2024 attempts is based on widely reported public record.