Zachary Levi talks about the loud White House press dinner
Actor Zachary Levi was sitting at the White House press dinner with USA TODAY when he heard a loud bang.
Actor Zachary Levi was also at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25, the day of the shooting at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
“We were sitting at a table and there was a loud banging sound that definitely caught my attention,” he said. “In the back of my mind, I jokingly thought it sounded like a gunshot.”
“The next thing we saw was everyone start turning around and falling down and there was a commotion,” he added. Guests hid under tables as the Secret Service rushed to ensure the safety of the “importers,” including members of Congress and ministers, Levi said. “After that, things seemed to calm down.”
Levi looked in disbelief when the early news came that dinner was to follow. “I don’t see why they would continue with the dinner if there was actually live filming going on.”
Levi was USA TODAY’s guest at the dinner, seated with Chairman Mike Johnson and his wife, but was safely removed from the room.
The dinner portion of the event had just begun, and employees were trying to move through the crowded room to clear salad plates from the first course.
The Secret Service later announced in a post on X that all of its protected persons, including President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, were safe.
One person is in custody and the Secret Service is investigating the incident. The incident occurred near the main magnetometer testing area at the dinner party.
