The traditional White House Correspondents' Dinner descended into chaos Saturday night. As the US president attended the event for the first time, gunshots rang out, forcing the Secret Service to intervene urgently to secure the presidential couple's safety.

The gist of the incident

1. The facts: Shots were reported in a "control zone" adjacent to the reception hall of a large hotel in the capital.
2. Security: Donald and Melania Trump are safe and sound. The president returned to the White House shortly after the incident.
3. Suspect: A suspected shooter has been arrested at the scene, according to statements by the president on his Truth Social platform.
4. Personalities present: In addition to the presidential couple, Vice President JD Vance , Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were in the room.

A moment of stunned silence, filmed live.

Images of the event show initial confusion before the general panic:

1. Delayed reaction: In the videos, we first observe muffled noises which do not provoke any immediate reaction from the assembly.
2. The intervention: After a few seconds of uncertainty, the Secret Service extracted JD Vance from the stage. President Trump appeared to stumble during his hasty removal.
3. At gunpoint: Heavily armed officers took up positions on the tables, holding the public at gunpoint, while the guests took refuge under the white tablecloths.

Massive security device

The event was immediately cancelled by security services, despite Donald Trump's initial wish to continue the festivities.

"I commend the outstanding work of the security services. The suspect has been apprehended." — Donald Trump on Truth Social.

Downtown Washington has been placed under heavy security: the perimeter of the hotel is currently cordoned off by police, and helicopters are patrolling the area. As of now, no official statement regarding potential casualties has been released.