Karoline Leavitt foreshadowed ‘shots fired’ before Correspondents’ Dinner attack

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt couldn't have known that when she said there would be 'some shots fired tonight in the room' at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner, she'd end up being eerily, chillingly right.

Leavitt inadvertently appeared to predict the 'shots' ahead of the events that unfolded on April 25, when 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, identified by the BBC as being from Torrance, California, is believed to have charged through a security checkpoint at the hotel where the dinner was being held.

Seconds later, somewhere between five and eight shots were fired as security attempted to stop him before he could make it into the international ballroom.

Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and several senior Cabinet officials were immediately evacuated by the Secret Service, while the suspect was tackled, uninjured, and taken to a local hospital. He is now expected to face federal charges.

All of this happened shortly after Leavitt's comments, which came as she stood outside the Washington Hilton in a sparkly black dress speaking to Fox News comedian and host Jimmy Fallia.

Asked about what President Trump had in store for his speech that night, she said: "It will be funny. It will be entertaining. There will be some shots fired tonight in the room. Everyone should tune in, it's going to be really great. I'm looking forward to hearing it."

She meant jokes, of course. Trump is known worldwide for his wise cracking, and he's a classic dinner circuit trash talker.

But nobody in that moment could've imagined how those words would land just hours later.

What has the suspect said about the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting?

After he was detained, Allen told officials that he wanted to shoot officials in the Trump administration, two sources told CBS News.

US media are reporting a history of anti-Trump posts from the alleged shooter. A document, described as a manifesto, has also been linked to an X account with Allen’s name as a username. A post in November 2024 said the user had voted for Kamala Harris.

The clip of Leavitt's comments spread fast, and predictably, conspiracy theories weren't far behind.

Leavitt, Melania and Trump look on at the dinner (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)

The context is pretty clear, Leavitt was referencing Trump's upcoming speech, calling it funny and entertaining in the same breath.

That didn't stop many speculating on her word choices, however.

What does 'shots fired' mean?

The phrase 'shots fired' is widely understood figure of speech for making jokes at someone else's expense. There's zero evidence to suggest her comment had anything to do with what happened later that night.

Following the shooting, Trump held a press conference at the White House later that night, where he said: "I was all set to really rip it. And I said to my people, 'This would be the most inappropriate speech ever made' [...] So I'll have to save it.

"I don't know if I could ever be as rough as I was going to be tonight. I think I'm going to be probably very nice. I'll be very boring the next time."

Trump went on to confirm the dinner and awards ceremony will be rescheduled within the next 30 days, promising it will be 'bigger and better and even nicer'.