Arizona
Arizona politicians, attendees react to shooting at White House Correspondents’ Dinner
WASHINGTON (AZFamily) — After a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington on Saturday night, reaction poured in from Arizona politicians about what happened.
Rep. Abe Hamadeh, a Republican who was at the dinner, said he and other members of Congress were evacuated from the Washington Hilton following the gunshots.
Hamadeh said the shots rang out not far from where he was sitting.
“They were gunshots. I’m a former military. I’m an Army officer. they were gunshots. As soon as those gunshots rang out you, heard glasses shattering everywhere, people spilled their drinks bolting down to hide underneath the tables,” Hamadeh said.
Hamadeh said he tried to duck under a table but couldn’t fit. He said that’s when his security team called him and he was quickly escorted him out of the room.
“It’s scary we have to live like this. Nobody should have to live like this,” he said.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman, a Republican from Indiana, also spoke about the incident in Hamadeh’s video posted on social media.
“It was very scary,” he said. “All of a sudden, 50 to 75 feet over my left shoulder, gunshots go off, and we all jump underneath the table. Stuff was falling over. The drinks were spilling over.”
Officials rushed to safety
Mark Lodato, Dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and former Associate Dean at the Walter Cronkite School of Mass Communication, was sitting feet away from the stage.
He spoke exclusively with Arizona’s Family.
“Everyone immediately jumped below, and got under tables and hid, trying to wait to figure out what was going on,” Lodato said.
He said he watched as Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was quickly whisked out of the room.
A video he captured shows officials moving chairs to rush Secretary of State Marco Rubio to safety.
Bipartisan reaction
Arizona GOP Rep. Andy Biggs, who is running for governor, said in a social media post that he and his wife are relieved no one was hurt and are praying that the violence stops.
“It is deeply concerning and frustrating to have another near instance of tragic and senseless violence at an event featuring President Trump,” Biggs said.
Republican Rep. Paul Gosar also posted on X and praised the response from first responders.
“I’m deeply thankful for the swift response from law enforcement, relieved that the President and First Lady are safe, and am keeping our nation in my prayers,” he posted.
On the Democratic side, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes echoed the quick actions of first responders.
“I am glad that everyone at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is safe and for law enforcement’s fast response. Violence has no place in our political discourse,” Fontes posted on social media.
Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat, posted on social media that he is “I’m thankful that the President and others at the correspondents dinner are safe, and for the quick response from law enforcement.”
Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton offered his thoughts and prayers on social media. “I’m grateful for the swift response from Secret Service after a dangerous and harrowing incident at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Praying for the safety of all in attendance,” he posted.
Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs called the incident “horrifying” on social media and said, “Violence has no place in our politics. I hope President Trump and all others in attendance are safe.”
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Federal and state officials imposed new fire restrictions across a large portion of central Arizona ahead of a weekend forecasted to bring hot, dry winds that could increase wildfire danger.
On Friday, May 15, Tonto National Forest enacted Stage 1 fire restrictions across the entire forest, while the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management announced similar restrictions for state trust lands in Gila, Maricopa, and Pinal counties.
The restrictions come as fire officials reported major progress on two wildfires in the region, potentially freeing up firefighting resources for future incidents. The Forestry Department announced that the Hazen Fire, which burned nearly 1,200 acres of dense tamarisk along the Gila River near Buckeye, had reached 100% containment. Meanwhile, the Jones Fire near Wickenburg, which prompted evacuations and was also fueled by tamarisk vegetation, was reported at 90% containment.
Tonto National Forest prohibited campfires and the use of wood-, charcoal-, or coal-burning stoves outside Forest Service-provided fire structures. Liquid petroleum or LPG stoves are still allowed if they can be switched off and are kept at least three feet away from overhead or surrounding flammable materials. Similar restrictions apply on state lands, except fires are permitted in developed campsites or picnic areas. The ban also extends to wildlife areas managed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, state parks, and highway rights-of-way.
The National Weather Service forecasted high temperatures in the upper 90s across metro Phoenix through Saturday, cooling slightly into the upper 80s and low 90s by Sunday. In Arizona’s high country, forecasters warned of elevated fire danger due to low humidity and strong southwest winds, with gusts expected between 20 and 30 mph on Saturday and 25 to 40 mph on Sunday.
“Gusty winds, dry fuels, and low humidity will lead to critical fire weather danger with easier fire starts and uncontrollable spread of new or existing fires,” the agency said in its Friday afternoon briefing.
The weather service declared a red flag warning for the Tonto National Forest and for southern Gila County, effective Sunday. The agency’s Tucson office also put out a Sunday, May 17, red flag warning covering Santa Cruz, Cochise, Graham and Greenlee counties, and the far eastern parts of Pinal and Pima counties.
Beyond the fire prohibition, the Tonto’s restrictions ban recreational shooting except for legal hunting activity.
The Tonto fire restrictions are in place through Sept. 30 unless rescinded. The state order is in effect until further notice.
Brandon Loomis covers environmental and climate issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach him at brandon.loomis@arizonarepublic.com.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram.
Dozens of bright yellow jets once operated by Spirit Airlines are now sitting idle in the Arizona desert after being repossessed by leasing companies, according to aviation officials.
The aircraft are currently parked in a storage field following the shutdown of operations involving the planes. Industry experts say the jets were not owned directly by Spirit Airlines, but instead leased through outside companies that quickly moved to reclaim the aircraft.
One aviation contractor involved in the process said crews had only a matter of hours to coordinate the recovery effort and relocate the planes.
That process included hiring former Spirit pilots who had suddenly found themselves out of work to help ferry the aircraft to storage facilities in Arizona.
“The reason I’m empathetic to all this is because I’ve been in the same situation four or five times,” one aviation worker said. “I was with airlines that closed their doors overnight. I woke up the next morning not having a job. I’m worried about how I’m going to make my mortgage, how I can pay for health care. I have little kids.”
Officials say the future of the aircraft remains uncertain. Depending on what the leasing companies decide, the planes could eventually return to service with another airline, be dismantled for parts, or scrapped altogether.
Spirit Airlines has not announced whether the aircraft could return to operations.
Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
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