Political figures attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night were left deeply unsettled after a shooting occurred outside the event.
Lawmakers React to Shooting Outside White House Event
Rep. Brian Jack (R-Ga.) told Axios while exiting the dinner, which was postponed due to the incident,
"It's a horrible, horrible moment for our country to see somebody want to attack or disrupt the event."
Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.), seated near the rostrum when President Trump and other officials were evacuated, described the situation as
"insane … that this is happening at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Security is supposed to be top notch."
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) shared in a text message that he was pulled into a secure room by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), stating:
"As a member who lives in Parkland and went to Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS I am glad everyone is okay."
Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) called the incident
"shocking"as he left the event.
Trump Evacuated After Gunman Fires at Secret Service
Trump was hastily evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night after a gunman armed with multiple weapons attempted to breach security and was shot by the Secret Service, according to federal law enforcement officials.
A suspect fired at Secret Service personnel at the event held at the Washington Hilton hotel and is now in custody, a law enforcement source told Axios.
Trump praised law enforcement’s swift response during a press briefing at the White House on Saturday evening and insisted the event be rescheduled within the next 30 days.
Confusion and Blame Follow Shooting
Members described confusion in the initial aftermath of the incident.
Rep. Barragan recounted,
"I saw them immediately evacuate Secretary [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.] and I took video of that when it was happening because I thought maybe something was happening to him."
Rep. Michael Rulli (R-Ohio) said as he left the hotel,
"I'm just letting it all soak in."
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) blamed Democrats for the incident in a text to Axios.
Calls for Security Review
Rep. Jack stated,
"I think somebody should look into the security protocols that were adopted here."
He added,
"Hopefully when we do come back within 30 days, it's a much more safe and much more secure event that enables all of us to celebrate this night."
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