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Actress Details White House Correspondents’ Dinner Horror

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Cheryl Hines
Photo Credit: "Cheryl Hines" by Rubenstein is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Actress Cheryl Hines described being lifted over rows of chairs in heels and a gown as security rushed her out of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after gunfire erupted inside the venue, triggering a rapid evacuation of officials, journalists and guests.

The incident unfolded Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, where attendees had gathered for the annual dinner celebrating journalism and the First Amendment.

Before the meal concluded, shots rang out, sending people scrambling for cover under tables and behind chairs.

Hines, who attended with her husband, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., later recorded a video message after returning home, still in her evening attire.

“That was a crazy moment in time,” Hines recalled. “We were there, and we heard shots, everybody got under the tables, nobody knew what was going on.”

As confusion spread across the ballroom, Kennedy’s security detail moved in.

“They had to lift me over chairs, because I’m in heels and a gown,” Hines explained, describing how agents maneuvered her through back corridors before getting the couple into a vehicle and away from the scene.

She later reassured viewers in a follow-up message that she and Kennedy were safe.

“Thank you for everyone reaching out asking if we’re okay, and we are okay,” she added.

“I’m in my pajamas now watching the news break just like you guys, but everybody stay safe.”

President Donald Trump was quickly removed from the ballroom as the situation escalated.

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Images taken during the evacuation show guests crouched beneath tables while Secret Service agents directed them toward exits.

Other photographs captured high-ranking officials being escorted through the ballroom amid the confusion.

The suspect was later identified as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen, a teacher from Torrance, California, who authorities said was staying at the hotel where the event was held.

Security footage later released showed the suspect moving past barriers with a firearm before agents converged on him.

Multiple armed officers engaged the suspect in a brief exchange of gunfire. One officer was shot but survived due to a bulletproof vest, officials indicated.

Authorities also reported that Allen was carrying a handgun along with multiple knives at the time of the incident.

Throughout the ballroom, attendees reacted by ducking under tables while agents pushed them toward exits.

Video shared by CBS News correspondent Tony Dokoupil captured Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller protecting his pregnant wife, Katie Miller, as security personnel guided them out.

At another table, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hovered protectively over his wife and directed those around him to leave.

Among those evacuated was Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who appeared visibly shaken as agents guided her out of the hotel.

“I just want to go home,” she cried, according to accounts from the scene.

Turning Point Action sponsor Derek Myers later wrote on X that she was safe but deeply upset, noting she had been in tears following the evacuation.

The incident comes months after the killing of her husband, adding to the emotional toll of the moment.

Trump later recounted his own experience during the shooting in remarks delivered at the White House shortly after the incident.

“It’s always shocking when something like this happens,” the president stated, recalling how he initially struggled to determine whether the noise he heard was a dropped object or gunfire.

“I heard a noise and kinda thought it was a tray going down,” he continued, describing the confusion in the early seconds.

He credited First Lady Melania Trump with recognizing the danger more quickly.

“Melania was very cognizant,” Trump noted, adding that she identified the sound as something more serious.

As agents moved to secure the area, Trump described being guided out along with his wife.

“It was a matter of seconds before we were out the door,” he explained.

He also addressed the condition of the wounded officer.

“One officer was shot, but saved by the fact that he was wearing a very good bulletproof vest,” Trump detailed, adding that he had spoken with the officer afterward.

“He’s doing great,” Trump said, describing the officer as being in high spirits following the incident.

Officials with the Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that the suspect had been a guest at the hotel, a factor that raised questions about security vulnerabilities tied to the venue.

Trump pointed to those concerns while outlining plans for a more secure location for future events.

“It’s pretty tough to secure,” he remarked, referring to the hotel’s layout.

He described a proposal to construct a new ballroom on White House grounds designed with reinforced security features.

“We’re building a big, beautiful, very, very secure ballroom in every way with massive bulletproof glass,” Trump said.

The proposed site would eliminate the need for the president to travel off-site for the dinner, a change he framed as a critical safety upgrade.

“We also need a better location,” he added. “The location is on the White House grounds.”

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