It was supposed to be a glittering night on Saturday at a Washington ballroom with President Donald Trump, but the fun was marred by gunfire that left guests diving on the floor and the US leader pinned down by security.
Trump was seated on stage at the annual White House Press Association dinner – his first as president – when loud noises disrupted the ceremony and caused him and others on stage to look on in horror.
A video captured by the media who attended the event showed a chaotic scene unfolding.
Shortly after what sounded like gunshots, “Sit down!” and “Get down!” were heard while guests, including journalists, officials in the Trump administration and some members of his cabinet were hiding.
Amidst the chaos, the president was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents, their weapons drawn, who rushed Trump off the stage and through the back curtain as the crowd bowed in shock.
The big band music stopped and people in ball gowns and tuxedos fell silent as agents circled tables and watched guests on the lobby floor of the Washington Hilton, the hotel where President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt 45 years earlier.
