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Karoline Leavitt’s ‘Shots Fired’ Remark Resurfaces After White House Correspondents’ Dinner Gunfire

Karoline Leavitt’s ‘Shots Fired’ Remark Resurfaces After White House Correspondents’ Dinner Gunfire
Karoline Leavitt’s ‘Shots Fired’ Remark Resurfaces After White House Correspondents’ Dinner Gunfire
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Karoline Leavitt’s ‘Shots Fired’ Remark Resurfaces After White House Correspondents’ Dinner Gunfire

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Karoline Leavitt’s ‘Shots Fired’ Remark Resurfaces After White House Correspondents’ Dinner Gunfire

Gunfire Rocks WHCD Gala

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner shifted from a marquee Washington media night to a security emergency on Saturday, April 25, after gunfire erupted near the Washington Hilton.

Minutes earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, 28, previewed President Donald Trump’s speech on Fox News, saying, “[The speech] will be funny. It will be entertaining. There will be some shots fired tonight in the room.”

Leavitt, pregnant with her second child, was evacuated from the ballroom alongside Trump, 79, first lady Melania Trump and other officials after shots were reported near the venue’s main magnetometer. Vice President JD Vance was also present at the event, known for blending politics, journalism and celebrity culture.

D.C. authorities confirmed that a 31-year-old man from California was taken into custody after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting. He was charged with two firearm-related counts and one count of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. Officials have not yet disclosed his motive or condition.

A Secret Service agent was injured in the gunfire but survived the attack. Trump later told reporters that the agent was recovering in the hospital, crediting the protective vest with helping prevent a more serious outcome.

The disruption came as Leavitt was preparing for maternity leave. She and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, share son Niko, born in July 2024. Leavitt had said Friday, April 24, that she expected to step away from briefings soon, but the shooting returned her to the spotlight as she confirmed Trump would address reporters late Saturday.

The guest list also included Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk, whose late husband, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was fatally shot at age 31 in September 2025. CNN reported that Erika was seen crying after the incident.

The evening was set to feature entertainer Oz Pearlman, reinforcing the dinner’s media-showbiz angle. Instead, the gala became another stark moment in the conversation around security and political violence surrounding Trump, who survived a shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024 and faced another suspected threat in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September 2024.

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