Gov. Jeff Landry describes evacuation from White House Correspondents Association

Gov. Jeff Landry said he and first lady Sharon Landry were able to safely evacuate the White House Correspondents Association dinner after shots were fired outside the ballroom, forcing them, President Donald Trump and a host of other top leaders to evacuate.

“I’m back and safe and everything’s okay,” the governor said calmly in a phone interview shortly after evacuating.

Law enforcement officials said one officer was shot in the bulletproof vest and is expected to be okay. The FBI said a suspect was in custody.

Landry said he and his wife were sitting at ABC’s table, “pretty close up to the main stage.” They were close to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other members of Trump’s cabinet.

Then he heard the muted sound of gunfire from a floor up above the ballroom.

“It was almost like somebody dropping a pot or something,” the governor said.

Landry knows the hotel well; it’s where Washington Mardi Gras, the annual gathering of Louisiana political, business and nonprofit leaders, is held.

Landry praised how law enforcement handled the incident, saying he did not feel threatened.

“The Secret Service came in, they got everybody down,” Landry said. “I mean, they did a great job of taking everybody out.”

Landry said he was able to leave the scene and make it back to his hotel without incident.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from the Shreveport area, said in a statement on X that he and his wife, Kelly, were also there.

“We’re thankful no innocent people were harmed and everyone is now safe,” Kelly said. “We’re grateful as always for the law enforcement and first responders who acted so quickly to bring the situation under control.”

Johnson added: “Praying for our country tonight.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, also said he was there.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the brave members of law enforcement who acted quickly to protect all of us attending tonight’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” Scalise wrote on X. “This is an event meant to bring people together. Violence has NO place in our country.”