Washington, United States. Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides condemned a shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday night, calling it political violence. He expressed relief that US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and other attendees were safe.
Christodoulides statement
In a post on X, Christodoulides said he “strongly condemns the political violence at last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” adding that it “has no place in our democratic societies”.
Incident at Washington Hilton
The shooting occurred at the Washington Hilton hotel during the annual event attended by senior US officials, including cabinet members, senators and congressmen.
A Secret Service agent was shot after a suspect, reportedly armed with multiple weapons, moved within the building. Authorities said the suspect had been staying at the hotel and reached an upper floor before being intercepted.
Video footage reportedly showed the individual moving through a corridor past a security checkpoint before the shooting.
Security response and evacuation
Security at the event involved multiple agencies, with guests required to pass through metal detectors to enter the ballroom.
Secret Service agents evacuated Trump and Vice President JD Vance from the main table, while other security personnel moved to protect officials in the room. Cabinet members and other officials were shielded by their security details, and the injured agent was taken for medical treatment.
Ongoing questions over security
Officials in Washington said it is not yet clear whether the incident resulted from security failures or coordination issues between agencies.
What do you think authorities should clarify first about how the suspect moved within the building?
