United States President Donald Trump has been evacuated from the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington, DC, after shots were fired outside the event.

The evacuation on Saturday evening came after gun shots were heard outside the hotel ballroom where Trump and the first lady had been sitting  ahead of the annual media event.

Trump hailed the United States Secret Service and local enforcement after the incident in a post on Truth Social.

“They acted quickly and bravely,” Trump said.

“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 we’ll just, plain, have to do it again.”

Footage from the scene showed Trump and attendees taking cover behind their table after shots rang out, as people yelled “Get down!” and “Stay down!”

Trump was then rushed away from the scene by Secret Service agents, after which heavily armed agents surrounded the table.

Al Jazeera producer Chris Sheridan said he heard what he believed to be five gun shots outside the ballroom.

“We could smell the powder. We immediately dove to the ground. It was directly behind me,” Sheridan said.

Weijia Jiang, the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, told the media that the programme would resume and that more details will be provided soon.

More to come…