Erika Kirk says she's 'taking time' with family as she addresses 'traumatic example of the evil' after attending targeted White House Correspondents' Dinner

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 06:31, 28 April 2026 | Updated: 06:43, 28 April 2026 Erika Kirk said she will deliver comments on the rise of political violence in America but is 'taking time' with family after she was escorted out of the White House Correspondents' Dinner.  The widow of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was seen sobbing 'I just want to go home' as she was rushed to safety when 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen opened fire at the event. Many noted this was yet another case of Kirk having to confront gun violence since her husband's killing. Kirk broke her silence on Monday but said she would take another couple of days to speak out. 'Saturday was yet another traumatic example of the evil in our country and the continued rise in political violence. I’m taking time to spend with my family,' she wrote. However, she said she will be appearing on the show bearing her husband's name on Wednesday to 'briefly address what took place.' 'Enough is enough,' Kirk concluded.   She was among the first to be evacuated from the Washington Hilton on Saturday night, not long after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were bundled out.  Erika Kirk said she will deliver comments on the rise of political violence in America but is 'taking time' with family after she was escorted out of the White House Correspondents' Dinner  Many noted this was yet another case of Kirk having to confront gun violence since her husband's killing The head of Turning Point USA was seen in floods of tears as she was flanked by what appeared to be two Secret Service agents.  In a post shared to X, Turning Point Action sponsor Derek Myers wrote: 'Erika is okay but very upset. She was crying.' It comes just seven months after her husband’s violent death at the hands of an assassin’s bullet at Utah Valley University. The events bear haunting echoes of the fateful day in September last year, although no fatalities were reported out of DC.  But President Trump confirmed that a Secret Service agent wearing a protective vest was shot. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, an educator from the Los Angeles area, has now been identified as the suspect in Saturday's shooting and faces firearms and assault charges.  It comes just seven months after her husband’s violent death at the hands of an assassin’s bullet at Utah Valley University Police revealed the suspect had a number of weapons on him, including a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives.  It is believed Cole may have been a guest at the Hilton hotel where the event was taking place.  Trump shared an image shortly afterwards, showing the suspect shirtless and lying face down on the ground, describing him as a 'sick person - a very sick person' during a press conference. 'He's a lone wolf, a whack job. These are crazy people. Sick, sick people,' he said at a White House briefing shortly after. Dramatic video shows the suspect sprinting past a security checkpoint and attempting to reach the doors to the ballroom.  Wolf Blitzer, who was inside the venue and just feet away from the shooter, told CNN the suspect was armed with a 'major weapon' and fired around six shots. 'Apparently they got the gunman, he had a major weapon there, it was so worrisome. The noise was so loud. I was a few feet away from the gunman who was shooting randomly, half a dozen shots they were so loud,' Blitzer said. The widow was heard wailing 'I just want to go home' as she was escorted out Trump is escorted out as a shooter opens fire during the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington Guests barely had the chance to tuck into their appetizers before Secret Service agents swarmed the Washington Hilton's ballroom following a series of 'loud noises.' The ballroom, filled with the nation's top journalists, Hollywood celebrities, and Cabinet members, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, became a scene of pure pandemonium. The incident occurred at the same hotel where President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981 – an eerie historical parallel that was not lost on those in attendance. As Trump and the First Lady were whisked to safety, terrified attendees took cover anywhere they could as they waited anxiously for news. The suspected shooter, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, had breached the security checkpoint at the event before he was swiftly taken down by law enforcement. Trump, still wearing his tuxedo, addressed the nation just two hours later. 'When you're impactful, they go after you,' he said defiantly. 'They seem to think he was a lone wolf. We're not going to let anybody take over our society.' A Secret Service agent was shot during the incident, but is expected to recover, as the President continued on to say that the agent 'was shot from a very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the [bulletproof] vest did the job.' 'I just spoke to the officer and he's doing great,' Trump added. The White House has confirmed that the dinner will be rescheduled within 30 days, promising an event that is 'bigger and better.' But for now, Washington remains on high alert as it grapples with yet another attempt on the President's life. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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