NCS’s Wolf Blitzer says he was only a “few feet away” from the gunman who began taking pictures “randomly” outdoors the room the place the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was happening Saturday evening.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania had been seen being hurriedly evacuated as Secret Service brokers swarmed the ballroom, with one agent sparking panic by yelling, “Shots fired!”
Blitzer watched the dramatic occasions unfold outdoors the ballroom after he says he “coincidentally” left the occasion space to make use of the lavatory.
“I walked out to simply go to the men’s room, but you have to walk up these stairs and walk out, which I was doing. And as I was walking back toward the door, to get back into the big area where the event was taking place, all of a sudden, I start hearing gunshots in the hall right near me,” he stated.
“And the next thing I knew, a police officer threw me to the ground and was on top of me. And I was listening and watching what was going on. And apparently they got the gunman, who had a major weapon there. But it was so worrisome. The noise was so loud in a small area.”
Federal brokers draw their weapons out after an incident on the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. According to reviews, President Donald Trump, together with different authorities officers, had been evacuated from the Washington Hilton after what seemed like gun fireplace. / Nathan Howard / Getty Images
Then, stated Blitzer, the cops “grabbed me and they take me back into the men’s room where it was safe and there were about 15 other men who are stuck in there and they won’t let them out.”
“And then after a while they let me out, and I’m out now,” he stated, clearly shaken.
He described issues taking place so shortly and chaotically that he didn’t have time to course of the scene.
Wolf Blitzer poses on the crimson carpet earlier than the occasion was disrupted by gunshots. / Elizabeth Frantz / REUTERS
“All of a sudden, a guy with a weapon–and it was a very, very serious weapon–just starts shooting, and I happened to be a few feet away from him as he was shooting. The first thing that went through my mind was, ‘Is he trying to shoot me?’ And I don’t think he was trying to shoot me, but I was very close to him as the gunshots were fired,” he stated.
Asked if there may have been a number of gunmen, Blitzer stated he heard “at least a half a dozen, maybe six gunshots” however couldn’t see a lot as a result of he was “down on the ground” with police on high of him.
“The gunman had stopped firing and he was on the ground,” he stated.
The FBI has since confirmed that the taking pictures suspect is in custody. According to the Associated Press, two legislation enforcement officers recognized the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old instructor from Torrance, California.
The suspect has been apprehended, and extra particulars are anticipated to observe.