Inside The Ballroom As Gunfire Was Heard, President Trump Was Rushed Away And Journalists Scrambled To Report The Story

The catering staff at the Washington Hilton was just about to the main course — prime Chateaubriand and Maine lobster — when four loud, quick shots could be heard.

With Donald Trump making his first appearance as president, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this year looked to be an unusual mix of comedy and controversy; instead became a surreal, disorienting moment, as authorities investigate an armed man suspected of trying to break through a security checkpoint.

Sitting at a table near the cavernous ballroom’s main entrance doors, I at first thought the noise heard around 8:35 p.m. ET was of a giant clash of dishes. But within a second or two someone could be heard shouting, “Get down!”

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