UFC CEO Dana White experienced a chaotic scene Saturday night in Washington, D.C., when a shooting interrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at Washington Hilton. He was there as a guest of President Donald Trump, a known personal friend of his.
Video footage shared online by CBS journalist Tony Dokoupil showed officials and staff being escorted out while security moved through the ballroom. White appeared calm in the clips despite the urgency around him.
Trump later confirmed that one officer had been shot, though luckily he was only mildly injured, as he was wearing a bulletproof vest. The officer was said to be recovering well at a nearby hospital. The gunman was later identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California.
White describes tense moments inside the ballroom
In an interview with USA Today, White shared his experience:
“We were sitting right in front of the table. Right in front of where the president was,” White said.
“Nobody got tackled but guys came in looking for shooters and then came towards our table. I thought the shooter was by us or something.”
He also stated that he “didn’t get down,” and described the situation as “f*cking awesome,” a reaction that quickly drew attention from social media and pundits.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been postponed following the incident. Investigators are now reviewing how the alleged shooter managed to get past security at such a high-profile event.