CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer provided a detailed eyewitness account of the shooting that erupted Saturday night at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, as he was just feet away from the gunman when the chaos began.
In an interview following the incident, Blitzer described being in the wrong place at the wrong time, as he was walking back from the men’s room when gunfire suddenly erupted nearby.
A police officer immediately threw him to the ground for protection as the shooter opened fire with what Blitzer repeatedly called “a very, very serious weapon.”
“It was a very, very serious weapon, he starts shooting,” Blitzer said. “I happened to have been a few feet away from him as he was shooting. And of course, the first thing that went through my mind, is he trying to shoot me?”
Blitzer emphasized that he had no idea who or what the shooter was targeting.
Remarkable reporting by @wolfblitzer tonight on @CNN.
His bathroom break left him 3-5 feet from the shooting. pic.twitter.com/OAEawg5B6j
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) April 26, 2026
“All of a sudden, I heard these loud, very loud, very scary gunshots right near me. Next thing I knew, a police officer threw me to the ground and was on top of me,” Blitzer said.
“I had no idea, as I was hearing the gunshots, who this shooter was aiming at, or if he was just trying to scare everybody,” Blizter said. “And, of course, the first thing that went through my mind was whether he was going to shoot me.”
“It was a terrible, very frightening moment for me,” Blizter stated.
The anchor confirmed he did see the gunman on the ground after he started shooting.
“Police officers threw him to the ground, but he was still shooting. And I could hear the shots going off,” Blizter said.
WATCH:
JUST IN: CNN’s Wolf Blitzer says he was just feet away from the White House Correspondents dinner shooter, says he was thrown to the ground by a police officer.
“It was a very, very serious weapon, he starts shooting.”
“I happened to been a few feet away from him as he was… pic.twitter.com/6ajscWy7Q9
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 26, 2026
‘I’m just scared.’ Wolf Blitzer describes seeing gunman from ‘a few feet away’
Wolf Blitzer describes being “a few feet away” from the gunman while “the cops got on top of him” at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner… https://t.co/BOPU3DqOfv pic.twitter.com/gb9tVQMWXt
— DomPachino101 (@DomPachino101) April 26, 2026
The shooting occurred near the security screening area and magnetometers just outside the main ballroom, where President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and hundreds of attendees were gathered.
The suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, had checked into the hotel as a registered guest and was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives before allegedly assembling a long weapon and opening fire.
One Secret Service agent was struck but saved by his bulletproof vest.
No other injuries were reported, and Allen was taken into custody alive.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro has confirmed Allen has been charged with at least two counts so far, using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
“This individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” Pirro said.
Pirro made it clear that prosecutors are not done, stating that additional charges are coming as the investigation continues.
The Gateway Pundit will continue following developments in the ongoing investigation, including the suspect’s Monday court appearance on multiple felony charges.
The post CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Gives Firsthand Account of WHCD Shooting: ‘I Was a Few Feet Away from Him as He Was Shooting,’ Says He Wondered, ‘Is He Trying to Shoot Me?’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.