UFC CEO Dana White described the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner as 'f---ing awesome' to experience. The event took place on April 25, 2026, where a gunman opened fire, injuring a Secret Service agent.
Mentioned in this story
Dana White; Secret Service agents respond to incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25, 2026
Credit: usa today/Youtube;Andrew Harnik/Getty
UFC CEO Dana White shared his reaction to the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, describing the incident as âf---ing awesome.â
White, a friend and ally of President Donald Trump, was among the attendees at the annual press event at the Washington Hilton hotel on Saturday, April 25, when an alleged gunman opened fire inside the venue, injuring a Secret Service agent. Following the shooting, White, 56, spoke with USA Today about the intense, chaotic moments that ensued in the ballroom amid the disturbance.
"All of a sudden, it just started getting noisy. Tables started getting flipped over, guys running with guns, and they were screaming, 'Get down!' " he recalled.
Dana White called the shooting incident 'f---ing awesome' and mentioned he took in every minute of it.
The shooting occurred on April 25, 2026, during the press event at the Washington Hilton hotel.
The shooting resulted in injuries to a Secret Service agent who responded to the incident.
The incident involved an alleged gunman and Dana White, who was an attendee at the event.
Dominic Roybal, a 2017 graduate and former player, has been hired as the head coach for Pojoaque Valley boys basketball. He replaces Ryan Cordova and will lead the team in the 2026-27 season as they return to Class 3A competition.
Mike Tomlin predicts Aaron Rodgers will return to the Steelers in 2026.
Matt Fitzpatrick and brother Alex win the Zurich Classic; Matt's third win this season!
Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprise with Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 15 in NFL Draft
Carson Hocevar celebrates his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega!
Diamondbacks overcome 5-run deficit to defeat Padres 12-7 in Mexico City!
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
"I didn't get down. It was f---ing awesome, and I literally took every minute of it in," White continued while smiling. "It was a pretty crazy, unique experience."
The UFC exec â who was a guest of Paramount Skydance at the dinner â told the outlet that he was sitting "right in front of [the head table] where the president was" at the time. "Nobody got tackled, but guys came in looking for the shooter. I thought the shooter was over by us or something," he recalled.
Trump, 79, was sitting onstage shortly after the start of the dinner when live footage showed Secret Service agents entering the ballroom and quickly escorting the president out of the room. The other prominent figures onstage â including Vice President JD Vance and first lady Melania Trump, as well as pregnant press secretary Karoline Leavitt â were also seen on camera being removed from the ballroom.
PEOPLE's reporter inside the dinner said that attendees hid under tables shortly after the disruption occurred.
Attendees duck under tables at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25, 2026
Credit: Nathan Howard/Getty
Shortly after the incident, Trump wrote on Truth Social that "the shooter has been apprehended."
Never miss a story â sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job," the president said. "They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we 'LET THE SHOW GO ON' but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement. They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and weâll just, plain, have to do it again."
Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25, 2026
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty
At a subsequent press conference, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and several law enforcement officials said they believe the alleged gunman acted alone. Interim Washington, D.C., police chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was "armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.â
Carroll said the suspect had been staying at the Washington Hilton. âAs he ran through that checkpoint, members of law enforcement from the United States Secret Service intercepted that individual," the police chief told reporters, adding that the suspect and law enforcement officers âexchanged gunfire.â
Cole Thomas Allen
Credit: realDonaldTrump/truthsocial
Law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation have identified Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., as the armed man who was taken into custody after injuring a Secret Service agent, according to Reuters, The New York Times and CNN.
While appearing on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan on Sunday, April 26, acting attorney general Todd Blanche said that officials believe, based on a preliminary investigation, that the suspect "was targeting members of the administration." Blanche said that investigators are still looking into a motive.
White, who is set to promote MMA event UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn on June 14, previously shared that he urged Trump to drop out of the 2024 presidential race after he was shot in the ear at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., in July 2024.
In a February 2025 interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, White said he called Trump after the rally incident, and he was completely "unfazed."
âWhy are you doing this? Stop. Stop,â White recalled telling Trump during the call. âI told him to stop so many times.â
âYou have such a good life and you can do so many things,â White said he told Trump, adding of the president, âHe believes he believes in God ⊠heâs very religious.â
Read the original article on People