“The first thing that went through my mind was whether he was going to shoot me,” the longtime CNN anchor said.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer details White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, says gunman was ‘few feet away’ from him

"The first thing that went through my mind was whether he was going to shoot me," the longtime CNN anchor said.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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April 26, 2026 12:47 p.m. ET

Wolf Blitzer attends the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner. Credit:

Taylor Hill/WireImage

- Wolf Blitzer was among the hundreds of journalists at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner who saw a gunman open fire.

- The CNN anchor says he was just feet away from the suspect when shots were fired.

- Calling into CNN, Blitzer said, "I was just thrown to the ground and protected to make sure there were no gunshots aimed at me."

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer says he was standing just "a few feet away" from the gunman who opened fire the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night.

Just after 8:30 p.m. ET, gunfire broke out at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the event was being held. Live video footage captured Secret Service agents entering the ballroom to escort President Donald Trump out of the room.

Hours later, the president addressed the incident at a news conference, saying the suspect was carrying multiple weapons and charging a security checkpoint before being taken into custody.

Calling into CNN, Blitzer said he watched the dramatic events unfold from outside the ballroom after leaving the men's restroom right before shots were fired. Upon exiting the bathroom, he saw a man with "a very, very serious weapon."

"All of a sudden I heard these loud, very loud, very scary gunshots right near me," he recounted. "Next thing I knew, a police officer threw me to the ground and was on top of me."

Wolf Blitzer at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Alex Wroblewski / AFP via Getty

Blitzer said the officers escorted him back into the restroom, where about 15 other men were taking shelter. He also recalled the proximity of the gunman, who he said was mere feet away from him when he opened fire.

"I had no idea as I was hearing the gunshots who this shooter was aiming at, or if he was just trying to scare everybody,” Blitzer said. "And, of course, the first thing that went through my mind was whether he was going to shoot me."

The veteran CNN anchor added, "It was a terrible, very frightening moment for me."

Blitzer went on to detail the shocking incident.

"I think I heard at least three, maybe six gunshots — boom, boom, boom, boom — and it was just enormously loud," he recalled. "I had no idea what was going on, and initially, when the cop pushed me down, I said to myself, 'I wonder if I was a target…' Thank God I was not shot. I was just thrown to the ground and protected to make sure there were no gunshots aimed at me. So it was just a coincidence that I happened to have been there, walking back to the ballroom when all of this took place."

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A California man has been taken into custody in connection with the shooting. The individual has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen by several outlets, including CBS and *The New York Times.*

The President confirmed that the gunman had been taken into custody in a Truth Social post featuring a photograph of the alleged shooter on the ground surrounded by Secret Service agents.

Blitzer said he witnessed law enforcement tackling the suspect after shots were fired. "Police officers threw him to the ground, but he was still shooting, and I could hear the shots going off."

Donald Trump at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

One Secret Service officer was shot during the incident, according to Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. At a press conference after the shooting, Trump said the officer was saved by his bulletproof vest.

After the shooting, the president applauded Secret Service agents and local law enforcement on social media. "They acted quickly and bravely," he wrote. "The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we 'LET THE SHOW GO ON' but will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement. They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we'll just plain have to do it again."

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The president confirmed in a later post that the Correspondents' Dinner would indeed be rescheduled within 30 days. He also argued that the incident is proof that his controversial White House ballroom construction project is of immediate importance.

"What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE," Trump wrote. "This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!"

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