Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk was seen sobbing as she made a heartbreaking plea after a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner just months after her husband was shot dead
Erika Kirk said five heartbreaking words as she was rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after a gunman opened fire at the event.
The Turning Point USA CEO was seen crying and visibly shaken as security officers ushered her out of the Washington Hilton Hotel where the dinner was held on Saturday, April 25. Erika, 37, was reportedly heard saying through her tears “I just want to go home. I just want to go home,” after the gunfire broke out.
The shooting occurred little over six months on from her husband Charlie Kirk being shot dead while speaking at a public event at Utah Valley University on September 10 2025. Eyewitnesses at the Correspondents’ Dinner also claimed that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was seen being carried away by his security detail with one on either side of him holding his weight while his feet dragged on the floor.
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According to The celebrity.land, the Health and Human Services Secretary was in attendance at the event with his wife Cheryl Hines who a witness said was disoriented and “delirious.” The shocking attack saw President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, as well as Vice President JD Vance all evacuated in dramatic scenes.
A string of other senior officials were also rushed to safety as panic ensued when the alleged shooter opened fire, rattling off multiple shots and storming a security checkpoint as he tried to rush towards the ballroom where the president and the guests at the soiree were seated.
The suspect has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, a teacher and Caltech grad from Torrance, California. He was reportedly armed with a shotgun and multiple knives as he attempted to access the event.
President Trump arrived at the gathering – which he has boycotted since 2011 until now – just 20 minutes before the gun fire was heard. Footage from inside the ballroom showed the president and first lady rapidly being flanked by arm guards on stage, as over 2000 guests on the main floor panicked and dove for cover under tables.
The attendees included Washington journalists and top White House officials. The suspect did not make it into the ballroom and was taken down by Secret Service agents in the lobby before reaching the room.
He did however shoot one Secret Service agent “from a very close distance with a very powerful gun” as the drama unfolded. The individual was taken to a local hospital for treatment but thanks to the bulletproof vest he was wearing survived the attack.
Police believe that Allen had checked in as a guest at the hotel where the event honoring the Washington press corps is held each year in the days prior to it taking place. DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the gunman will be arraigned in federal court on Monday, charged with assault on a federal law enforcement officer and two counts of using a gun to commit violence. More charges are also expected to be added.
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