President Donald Trump unharmed after security incident at White House correspondents’ dinner - BERITAJA

President Donald Trump was uninjured and different apical leaders of the United States were evacuated from an yearly meal of White House correspondents connected Saturday nighttime aft an unspecified threat. There did not instantly look to beryllium immoderate injuries, and 1 law-enforcement charismatic said a shooter had opened fire.

Authorities said the incident occurred extracurricular the ballroom wherever Trump and different guests were seated.

It was not instantly clear what happened. The arena was scrapped and will beryllium rescheduled.

“We will do this again,” said Weijia Jiang, president of the White House correspondents’ association.

Shortly afterward, unit began breaking down array settings and the statesmanlike lectern.

The Secret Service and different authorities swarmed the banquet hallway astatine the Washington Hilton arsenic guests eating connected outpouring pea and burrata crockery ducked nether tables by the hundreds. Audible gasps echoed done the ballroom arsenic guests realized thing was happening. Hundreds of journalists sewage connected phones to telephone successful information.

“Out of the way, sir!” personification yelled. Others yelled to duck. From 1 corner, a “God Bless America” chant began arsenic Trump was escorted disconnected stage. He fell concisely — he apparently tripped — and was helped up by Secret Service agents.

A rule enforcement charismatic confirmed location was a shooter, but nary further specifications were instantly available. All officials protected by the Secret Service were evacuated.

A rule enforcement serviceman was changeable successful the bullet-resistant vest but is expected to beryllium OK, 1 rule enforcement serviceman told The Associated Press.

Those successful attendance included Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — and galore different leaders of the Trump administration.

Generally, the Hilton hotel, wherever the meal has taken spot for years, remains unfastened to regular guests during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and information has typically been focused connected the ballroom and alternatively than the edifice astatine large, pinch small screening for group not entering the meal itself.

In past years, that has created openings for disruptions successful the lobby and different nationalist spaces, including protests successful which information moved to region guests who unfurled banners aliases staged demonstrations.

-AP journalists Alanna Durkin Richer, Michael Balsamo, Zeke Miller and Anna Johnson contributed to this report.