The silent, terrifying moment a gunman rushed security at the W.H. correspondents' dinner

U.S. newsThe silent, terrifying moment a gunman rushed security at the W.H. correspondents’ dinnerNo one was hurt inside the ballroom where President Trump was set to speak, but the gunman's ability to get so close raised concerns from security experts.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleBlanche gives timeline of suspect's movements ahead of correspondents' dinner shooting01:18Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 27, 2026, 7:57 PM EDTBy Rich SchapiroThe rush of guests entering the White House correspondents’ dinner was over, and now Helen Mabus, a volunteer ticket checker, had a moment to herself. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“It was very quiet,” she recalled. But just then a man out in the corridor caught her attention: He was holding what she quickly realized was a rifle. Before she could react, he tore off toward the security checkpoint about 40 feet away. “He either unfolded a part of the gun or pieced it together,” Mabus said. “It became longer before my eyes. And within seconds, he was shooting.”At that moment, Erin Thielman, an Air Force veteran attending the dinner at the Washington Hilton Saturday evening, was ascending the staircase leading from the ballroom entrance to the upper level where guests were screened. She was calling her son who was babysitting her other two children.Erin Thielman, an Air Force veteran, attended the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., with her husband on April 25.Courtesy Erin Thielman“I heard three or four really loud bangs, and I saw this man charging towards me,” she said. “He was carrying a shotgun.”In an instant, the gunman went down, landing at Thielman’s feet.“I didn’t even have to take a step to touch him,” she said. “I could have just bent down.”The man was motionless, lying facedown with his hands flat on the ground and the gun beside his should...