Performer Recounts Moment of Crisis at White House Correspondents' Dinner
A performer has shared his experience of locking eyes with President Donald Trump as they both took cover following gunfire at the White House Correspondents' dinner on Saturday night.
Oz Pearlman, who identifies as a "mentalist" specializing in mind tricks, told the BBC that he was engaged in conversation with President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt when the shooting occurred.
"I went down very quickly. And then the Secret Service brought President Trump down: I would say very effectively - but quite violently,"
"We were about half-a-metre apart face-to-face looking at each other on the ground, when I'm hearing shots and thinking to myself, 'We're about to die.'"
Video footage from the event shows Pearlman standing behind the three VIPs, who were seated at a table on an elevated stage at the Washington Hilton hotel.
"The timing of it was just so crazy because I was right in the midst of performing for the first lady, and for the president and for the press secretary guessing the name 6 the press secretary is having a baby soon,"
Pearlman explained that he was attempting to guess the number of letters in the baby's name. As he tore off a piece of paper to reveal the name, he suddenly heard gunshots.
At that moment, he initially believed a bomb might have exploded due to the rapid movement of Secret Service agents toward one table.
"It didn't feel like they were looking for a shooter. It felt like they were looking to stop something from happening."
Pearlman recounted quickly taking cover.
"I was facing stage left. And just by chance they [agents] tackled him [Trump], right next to me facing stage right.
And I'm turned to the left looking directly into his eyes - for 'One Mississippi, Two Mississippi' - pretty much thinking that I hope I'm not about to die."
He said that approximately two seconds later, agents evacuated President Trump from the room. Pearlman and two others nearby then crawled to safety.
President Trump Reflects on the Incident
In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday, President Trump stated he "wasn't worried" during the incident.
"I understand life. We live in a crazy world."
Regarding being led down by security, Trump recalled:
"I started walking with them [the security team]. I turned, I started walking, and they said, 'Please go down. Please go down on the floor.'
So I went down and the first lady went down also."
Suspected Gunman Arrested and Charged
The suspected shooter, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, was apprehended at the venue.
Authorities reported that the 31-year-old California resident exchanged gunfire with security agents on a floor above the room where President Trump and other attendees were gathered.
Following his arrest, Allen reportedly told officials he intended to shoot members of the Trump administration, according to two sources cited by CBS, the BBC's US news partner.
On Monday, Allen was charged with attempting to assassinate the president, along with weapons offenses related to the incident. He has not yet entered a plea.
