President Donald Trump was rushed out of the Washington Hilton Hotel ballroom Saturday night, but is safe, after what appeared to be gunshots were heard from an area near the hotel -- and now the Secret Service says it has detained a person of interest.
There were other politicians at the dinner, and they, too, were rushed out of the ballroom.
It was later decided that the annual White House Correspondents' dinner has been cancelled because of the incident.
It's not clear yet whether anyone may have had a gun inside the hotel; the Secret Service is investigating.
Fox News anchor Bret Beier said a few minutes later that "what was supposed to be a celebration of the first amendment ended up in chaos."
In the hotel ballroom before 9 pm EDT the annual dinner of news people and dignitaries called the White House Correspondents Dinner was getting underway.
There have been no reports of injuries.
The President was reported safe just minutes after he was quickly escorted out of the room.
President Trump was sitting and eating at the celebrity table on the ballroom stage with his wife Melania and Vice President J. D. Vance nearby in front of the dim dinner hall when what appeared to be Secret Service agents walked up to him, gave him some news and then helped the couple out of their chairs and quickly walked them behind curtains behind them.
After the event, President Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we 'LET THE SHOW GO ON' but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement," he wrote in a post.
"They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again," he said.
"Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we 'LET THE SHOW GO ON' but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement," he wrote in a post.
"They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again," he said.