I was at a table near the entrance to the hall and heard the gunshots that made me run to safety, behind a concrete column. From there I could see the security activity: Secret Service agents walking across the tables to reach and protect high-ranking officials, dozens of people lying on the floor, some running, but most hiding. In the distance, I saw that the main table, where the presidential couple and Vice President JD Vance were sitting, was empty; they were the first people to evacuate.

Fear. That's what I felt. Uncertainty. Anger and sadness, for witnessing such an event. As soon as I felt safe, I started recording some videos. By then there were already FBI agents, DEA agents, local police, and other agencies inside and outside the hall. The doors were sealed, leaving was prohibited for several minutes, and only high-level officials were allowed to leave. I saw Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth leave with his wife; I also saw FBI Director Kash Patel being escorted out. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent looked visibly shaken as he was escorted out, frightened, as surely most of us there were. The uncertainty contributed to the fear. When I managed to record near the main table, I documented the scene: broken equipment, plates, napkins, glasses, and cups on the floor. People were frightened and uncertain. I managed to see Under Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who also looked shaken by the events. Upon returning to my assigned seat, my companion—a colleague who did not authorize me to reveal his name—asked me where I had been. When the events occurred, he saw that I reacted quickly to hide. “You disappeared,” he told me. I commented that I have been trained in security protocols for many years; never wait to find out, first find a safe place.

Communication blocked

People were trying to use their cell phones to send messages and make calls, but few managed to do so. I was able to communicate for a few seconds with a family member to confirm that I was okay, but I couldn't send any images or videos to the newsroom. The Wi-Fi system indicated that the signal was saturated; my phone signal never worked, even in the hotel room, from where the newsroom team managed to get a live report.

At one point I saw the influencer Carlos Eduardo Espina, who knows me well and we always greet each other at events where we both attend. “Let's see what happens,” he said, heading for the exit, but then I saw him recording a video.

There was confusion when they indicated that the event would resume. The male voice on the microphone asked people to return to their seats, but almost no one paid attention; most of us were journalists, recording video or taking pictures. Through one of the side doors, where several officials had been evacuated, I headed to the event's security area. There were agents from various agencies; the elevator was closed, and it was indicated that if anyone left, they could not return. Several people decided to stay. Minutes later, the president of the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA), Weijia Jiang, said that President Trump wanted the event to continue, as he had already stated on his Truth Social account, but "there are security protocols," Jiang said, and confirmed that the event would be rescheduled. She didn't give a date. In his subsequent press conference, President Trump confirmed that he wanted to continue with the event, but that the First Lady had experienced a traumatic moment and he had to adhere to security protocols, adding that these might be "higher" after these events.

“Something very serious”

There were journalists from Mexico attending the event for the first time, one of them a former boss who looked at me in astonishment at what had happened. All we could do was joke among ourselves about the fear the attack caused, we were all nervous.

“This is serious,” Mark, an employee of the event's video recording system, told me, but he mentioned something similar to what Trump said in his press conference.

“We heard that noise and thought it was a tray or a bullet. I was hoping it was a tray, but it wasn't. And, once again, we had very brave people who did an excellent job. So we're very proud of them and pleased with their performance,” Trump said later in his conference.

The sound might have been different from where the president and Mark were standing, far from the entrance, where the shots were clearly heard by me.

“My impression was that we heard some noises, we didn't know what was happening,until we saw the Secret Service agents with their guns and, well, we had to get down,” he said, referring to getting down on the floor. “I think everyone… didn't know what was going on.”

He said that when he saw the armed agents he thought, “This is serious.”

It is now known that the shooter is Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, who has been charged with two counts so far: weapons possession and assaulting a law enforcement officer.