The U.S. White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner was shocked by a shooting incident, with on-site security and guest behavior becoming the focus of international attention for days. Apart from one Secret Service member being shot and wounded, and President Trump and senior officials being urgently evacuated, several videos circulating on social media showed guests taking advantage of the chaos to 'help themselves' to wine and champagne from tables, sparking outrage among netizens who criticized their lack of propriety.
According to foreign media reports and circulating videos, after the shooting, chaos erupted at the Washington Hilton hotel as guests scrambled from their seats. During the frantic evacuation, two female guests were filmed quickly taking at least one bottle of champagne and one bottle of wine from an unattended dining table before leaving.
The widespread circulation of these clips online triggered heated discussion. Many netizens condemned the behavior as highly inappropriate, pointing out that even in life-and-death emergencies some people still think about alcohol, calling it 'undignified and out of line.' However, some took the opposite view, arguing that the dinner tickets were expensive, and since the scene was chaotic and the beverages left unused, 'taking them isn't excessive.'
In addition to the controversy over guest behavior, the event's security arrangements also came under fierce criticism. Republican political figure Kari Lake, who attended in person, publicly accused security at the event of being extremely lax. She revealed that staff barely checked IDs at entry: 'there was no careful checking of tickets, nor photo ID verification,' and one could get in with anything that just looked like a ticket. She believes this 'wide open' security is the main reason why the shooter was able to enter armed.
Lake also described the dinner atmosphere as filled with hostility, saying that most media and attendees present were highly partisan, bluntly calling the evening a 'gathering of hate.'
With the incident continuing to ferment, all sorts of unverified rumors have also spread online. Some accusations allege someone at the scene seemed to signal to Trump, while others described First Lady Melania’s strong emotional reaction; however, none of these claims have been confirmed by authoritative sources.
At present, the suspect involved has been arrested and faces multiple felony charges. Law enforcement is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the suspect’s actions and the onsite security lapses. In the shooting, a Secret Service member was fortunately uninjured thanks to a bulletproof vest.