The White House Press Secretary made a eerie joke not long before an armed gunman opened fire at the Correspondents' Dinner.
After gunshots were heard on Saturday (25 April) night, Donald Trump, the previous target of an assassination attempt, his first lady Melania and Vice President JD Vance were rushed out of the Washington Hilton ballroom filled with 2,500 people. One officer was taken to hospital following shots to their bulletproof vest, while the President was left unhurt.
The suspect, carrying multiple guns and knives, has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California.
Prior to the event, however, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was in good spirits.
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"He is ready to rumble, I will tell you. This speech tonight will be classic Donald J Trump. It'll be funny, it'll be entertaining. There will be some shots fired tonight in the room," she told Fox News on the red carpet.
"Everyone should tune in, it's gonna be really great. I'm looking forward to hearing it."
After Trump and everyone else was evacuated, the Republican leader shared a video of the suspect, believed to have been a guest at the hotel, storming the dinner.
“My impression is he was a lone wolf whack job. These are crazy people,” he added at the press conference.
Trump said: “I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was, in one way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing.
“To see a man charge a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of secret service, and they acted very quickly.
“It is always shocking when something like this happens.”
Washington mayor Muriel Bowser said she had 'no reason' to believe anyone but Allen was involved.
What do we know about the suspect?
Officials have said he has no criminal record and was not on the radar of law enforcement.
Sky News reports that Allen describes himself as a 'mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth', on his LinkedIn.
His profile states that he has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and a master's degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills.
Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for Washington, said the suspect was being charged with two counts: use of a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
Pirro said that the defendant - whose motive remains unknown, would be arraigned on Monday in federal court.
He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on both counts.
Topics: Donald Trump, US News
Anish Vij