Shazam! star Zachary Levi describes the chaos and commotion inside the Washington Hilton ballroom as shots rang out during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“We were sitting at the table and there was a loud noise that caught my attention,” Levi, 45, told. USA Today on Saturday, April 25. The actor was seated USA Todaythe table and the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and his wife, Kelly Johnson.
“In my head I thought, you know, I thought jokingly, ‘That sounds like gunshots.’ But that was not confirmed,” continued Levi. “It’s possible that other things in the corridor, the tables were falling, collapsing, I don’t know.”
The actor added, “The next thing we saw, everyone started turning around and going downstairs. There was chaos. Everyone started hiding under the tables and the Secret Service was coming in trying to get anyone important — anyone in charge, any legislators, including the president. They were getting everyone out of there as fast as they could.”
Shortly after Saturday’s annual event celebrating press freedom, the 31-year-old gunman rushed to a security checkpoint. Shots were fired before the suspect – who was reportedly armed with a handgun, a shotgun and several knives – was arrested. Another Secret Service agent was shot in the chest, but his ballistic vest saved his life and he was later released from the hospital and reportedly sent home.
The president Donald Trumpfirst wife Melania TrumpWhite House press secretary Caroline LeavittVice President JD VanceSecretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Cheryl Hinesalong with other members of the Trump administration and various lawmakers were quickly removed from the premises.
@usatoday “The Secret Service was breaking in.” Actor Zachary Levi was sitting with USA TODAY at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner when he first heard a loud noise. Trump said the shooter had been caught.
♬ original sound – USA TODAY
No one else was injured during the incident. The gunman, who wrote a letter detailing his desire to harm Trump and senior members of his cabinet, is expected to appear in federal court on Monday, April 27. He is said to be facing multiple charges.
“Then everything seemed calm,” continued Levi on Saturday about his experience. “Everybody started showing up at the tables – we didn’t know what was going on. And we were just told that they’re going to go ahead with dinner with updates soon. I don’t know, it’s very confusing because if it was a real live shoot then I don’t know why we would go ahead with dinner.”
The upcoming state visit of King Charles III to the United States is expected to go ahead as planned after the shooting of the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. “Isilo is fully informed of the events and it is comforting to hear that the President, his wife and all the guests were not injured,” […]
While president Trump and members of the White House Correspondents’ Administration initially wanted the event to go ahead, security concerns required the entire event to be canceled. The president said it will be postponed again within 30 days.
While speaking to the media at an unexpected press conference at the White House after the incident, the president praised the first lady for her composure under pressure after she appeared to be shaken by the sound of gunfire.
“I want to thank the first wife, that was a painful thing for her,” she said. “We’re not going to let anybody take over our community, we’re not going to take things away … we’re not going to do that. We wanted to stay tonight, I fought hard to stay, but it was a process … there was a lot going on.”
