Karoline Leavitt's 'Eerie' Message: Press Secretary Declared 'Shots Will Be Fired Tonight' Hours Before Gunfire Erupted at White House Correspondents' Dinner
Karoline Leavitt's eerie message has gone viral.
April 25 2026, Published 10:34 p.m. ET
Karoline Leavitt declared "shots will be fired tonight" ahead of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, RadarOnline.com, just hours before actual shots were fired at the event on Saturday night.
The clip of the White House Press Secretary making the eerie prediction has now gone viral, in what is now being labeled an unfortunate choice of words.
'There Will Be Some Shots Fired Tonight in the Room'
Leavitt appeared to make an unintentional prediction before the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
During a red carpet interview with a Fox News reporter before the event was set to kick off, the 28-year-old did her part to hype up President Trump's upcoming speech.
"He is ready to rumble," Leavitt said. "This speech tonight will be classic Donald. J. Trump. It will be funny, it will be entertaining. There will be some shots fired tonight in the room."
Leavitt, who will soon go on maternity leave, then urged viewers to "tune in" to the speech.
Trump and his wife, Melania, were quickly evacuated from the event after shots were fired, as Secret Service agents were seen scrambling to get the president and first lady to safety.
According to the reports, at least four shots went off inside the Washington Hilton, with the shooting occurring just after 8:30 p.m., about 20 minutes after the president and first lady arrived inside the ballroom.
The alleged gunman, who, according to a source at the time, is said to be from the Los Angeles area, was detained and possibly shot and killed. Disturbing photos following the shooting showed the suspect lying down on the floor, shirtless.
Following the shooting, Leavitt's words raised major flags, as one person reacted, "There were 'shots fired' indeed. How odd," and another added, "Yikes, this did not age well."
A user suggested, "This video was posted an hour before shots were fired at the dining table in the building. I knew that event was staged."
"Just an unfortunate choice of words, the conspiracy theorists are nuts," one person went off.
Trump Declares Melania and His Staff Are in 'Perfect Condition'
President Trump and the First Lady were in attendance at the event, which took place at the Washington Hilton.
No injuries to the president, the first lady, or any of the guests have been reported. However, one insider claimed a Secret Service agent was shot but survived due to his bulletproof vest.
While organizers hinted the event would continue, it was officially canceled at 9:45 p.m. According to Trump, it will be rescheduled within 30 days.
"The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition," the 79-year-old confirmed on Truth Social. "We will be speaking to you in half an hour," he added, as Trump gave a press conference soon after the terrifying incident.
'I Fought Like H--- to Stay'
Trump, the First Lady, and his staff were evacuated amid the chaos.
And despite being rushed out of the Washington Hilton amid the shoot, Trump said he did everything in his power to remain in place.
"I fought like h--- to stay," the president claimed in the press conference. "But they, it was protocol. They said, 'Please, sir,' because they didn't know ... there was a lot of action going on, and they didn't know."
According to Trump, he didn't realize it was a gun being fired at the time, revealing he "thought it was a tray going down."
He added: "It was very quick. There wasn't a lot of time to be thinking, because it was a matter of seconds before we were out the door."
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According to sources, the alleged shooter is Cole Tomas Allen.
According to the Daily Mail, the alleged shooter was identified as 30-year-old Cole Tomas Allen. Trump shared an image of the suspect, labeling him a "a sick person – a very sick person."
