White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made what turned out to be an ominously accurate prediction before gunfire erupted at the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night.

“It will be funny. It will be entertaining. There will be some shots fired tonight in the room,” Leavitt told Fox News on the red carpet just moments before the dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel. “Everyone should tune in, it’s gonna be really great. I’m looking forward to hearing it.”

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other high-level cabinet officials were abruptly evacuated from the event by Secret Service after shots rang out. The president and his Cabinet members were unhurt in the incident.

Trump said at a press conference at the White House late last night that one officer was shot, but was saved by his bullet-proof vest.

An armed suspect Cole Allen, 31, from Torrance, California is the man accused of charging through a security checkpoint at the dinner and opening fire. Allen, who was not shot during the incident and was taken to a local hospital, is expected to be charged in federal court on Monday.

Authorities are investigating the motive for the shooting.

Following the shooting, the White House said that Allen had shared writings that “clearly stated he wanted to target administration officials.”

Leavitt said Sunday in an X post that the WHCA dinner was “hijacked by a depraved crazy person.”

“What was supposed to be a fun night at the @WHCA dinner with President Trump delivering jokes and celebrating free speech was hijacked by a depraved crazy person who sought to assassinate the President and kill as many top Trump administration officials as possible,” she wrote.

Noting that she, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were “quickly ushered to safety by Secret Service,” Leavitt praised the president for being “truly fearless.”

“But as [Trump] said last night, this political violence needs to end, she added. “Thank you to law enforcement for keeping all of us safe, including the brave agent who took a bullet to the chest and immediately moved to neutralize the shooter. Pray for our country.”

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