Oz Pearlman, a mentalist, who was set to perform at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday, described the moments of panic during the shooting outside the Hilton ballroom.
Speaking with US broadcaster ABC News, Pearlman said he was “side-by-side” of the US President Donald Trump, and his “first thought” was, “are we about to die?”
‘I dropped to all fours’
Recounting the immediate reaction, Pearlman said: “When I dropped down, and dropped down to all fours, and I’m waiting and bracing because I think a bomb’s going to go off. I watch the two Secret Service guys get behind the president, bring him down.”
He added that the proximity to Trump made the moment even more surreal. “So the exact same way you are at this distance. I just look at him right here, and I think right that moment, ‘Oh no, are we about to die?’ That was my first thought.”
Trump ‘seemed to be in shock’
Pearlman said he could not immediately gauge Trump’s condition amid the confusion. “I’m looking at him, and I can’t gauge from him what happened to him,” he told ABC, adding, “No part of me was like, he’s OK.”
He said the force with which the president was brought down heightened his fear. “I didn’t expect them to take him down so violently. they never would have tackled him that hard,” he said, adding that it “seemed to me like he was in shock.”
Describing his escape, Pearlman said he “army-crawled” out of the area, only to encounter what he called a “crazy” scene backstage.
“So we get backstage, we’re all standing. There’s so many people with guns going by, and so we’ve got SWAT team — full tactical, like, assault rifles,” he said, adding that he saw a person walking around with just handgun.
He noted that the incident unfolded just moments after he had performed a trick, successfully guessing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s baby’s name.
Leaders rushed out
Several footage of the incident by multiple media outlets have captured Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and cabinet officials being rushed out of the ballroom as the situation unfolded.
Soon after the incident, Trump addressed a press conference and said that the suspect fired at a Secret Service agent before being tackled and taken into custody.
The Secret Service agent who was shot avoided serious injury after the bullet struck his protective vest, Trump said.
The president, who had skipped the event in previous years, has now requested that the dinner be rescheduled within 30 days.
What authorities have said
According to officials, a suspect identified as Cole Allen, 31, allegedly charged a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton. Authorities said the suspect carried a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.
The gunman will face federal charges, including assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer, US Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
