Shots fired near the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington on Saturday night left attendees scrambling for cover and sent Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, from the backstage area in tears, according to footage circulated online and eyewitness reports.
The White House Correspondents' Dinner is usually a carefully choreographed mix of politics, press and showbusiness, a rare evening when sharp-elbowed Washington tries to laugh at itself. This year's gala, held with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the top table, instead tipped into panic as security agents rushed on stage and ordered those at the front — including a visibly pregnant Karoline Leavitt — to leave immediately while the rest of the ballroom was ordered to stay put.
