Woman grabs wine bottles during White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting evacuation

One woman has become an online sensation after seemingly grabbing multiple wine bottles for herself during the pandemonium at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The audacious action occurred after gunfire erupted at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night. A gunman, subsequently identified by authorities as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California, allegedly rushed a security checkpoint outside the main ballroom armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives. However, one woman seemed more concerned about getting her money's worth than evacuating. The unidentified blonde, spotted wearing a long black fur coat, made straight for a table to gather bottles. The shooting happened early in the evening, meaning considerable amounts of alcohol remained untouched throughout the ballroom. The woman's identity remains unclear, and it's not evident whether it was alcohol she had already purchased. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing. Nonetheless, footage rapidly went viral, with many split on the action. One commented: "This is absolutely disgusting. Members of the press were caught stealing bottles of wine in the immediate aftermath of the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner." A second continued: "The President almost just got assassinated and members of the media are using the opportunity to steal bottles of wine." Yet others disagreed, finding the action amusing. One said: "They paid $350+ a plate, and the night got canceled early, free wine tax refund is fair game. "How is this stealing? They were placed on the tables for dinner. They were meant to be consumed. Everything was already paid for," another poster wrote. A third said: "The highlight of the shooting is all the press and influencers yoinking bottles of wine and champagne. Good on them for that." A fourth commented: "This is absolutely hilarious. After the assassination attempt, this woman just snags a couple of bottles of wine. She's got her priorities figured out." During the altercation, the suspect opened fire at a Secret Service agent, who was hit at point-blank range but escaped serious harm thanks to his bulletproof vest. Investigators are understood to believe the assault was politically driven, with acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche revealing that early findings indicate the gunman was targeting administration officials, most likely including the president. Documents discovered on the suspect reportedly described him as a "Friendly Federal Assassin" and condemned current administration policies. Although the evening's proceedings were brought to an abrupt halt, President Trump later took to the podium at the White House, commending the Secret Service's rapid intervention and urging an end to political violence.