A video shows Erika Kirk in tears as she is escorted off following a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 28. Donald Trump and other government officials were evacuated from the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after what sounded like gunshots broke out.
“I just want to go home,” a video shows Erika saying, in tears, as she walks away quickly with two men on either side.
Netizens expressed their empathy for Erika, whose husband, Charlie Kirk, was shot dead at an event in Utah last year. Charlie, 31, was allegedly shot dead by Tyler Robinson on September 10 during an appearance at a campus event in Utah. The shooting happened around 12:20 pm local time during a student Q&A at UVU in Orem, per a statement from Utah Valley University (UVU).
Read More | Is White House shooter apprehended? Trump provides update after Correspondents’ Dinner evacuation
“She’s clearly shaken… man. Hate this,” one X user commented on the above post. “Get home safely, @MrsErikaKirk. Guardian Angels are hard at work,” wrote another. One wrote, “Poor woman has seen too much violence.”
“Shock always arrives before language catches up, and sometimes that is all a person can say,” wrote a user, while another said, “Such an emotional moment”. “This poor woman,” one user commented.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting
A video shows Trump in the middle of a conversation at the Washington Hilton when he was interrupted by a commotion at the White House table. Loud bangs can be heard in the background. Several Secret Service members then escorted Trump away from the venue as they called out “stay down, stay down”.
Read More | White House shooting: Videos of chaos from Correspondents Dinner 2026 as Trump is evacuated; watch
Stephen Miller, Trump’s top adviser, was also seen being escorted from the crowd and out of the venue. Senior administration officials like Pete Hegseth were also escorted out by their security details. FBI Director Kash Patel was evacuated from the room after about five gunshots were heard, according to the BBC.
Several attendees were seen crouching down during the chaos, but remained inside after the president was evacuated.