Lawyer and activist Kerry Kennedy, the sister of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., praised Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) late Saturday for protecting her during the chaos caused by a live shooter at the Washington Hilton Hotel during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
“I hit the floor at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner mid conversation with Rep. Jamie Raskin, who heroically protected me, whispering, ‘You’re ok, you’re ok, you’re ok,’ while my host from The Boston Globe laid on the ground while furiously taking notes, and thousands of journalists, photographers, and editors took cover under tables and beneath chairs,” Kennedy wrote in a Facebook post.
Kennedy said the incident was “terrifying,” echoing statements from other attendees at the event.
“Then the doors burst open, and scores of Secret Service agents rushed into the room, many with hands on holsters. They rushed for cabinet secretaries and pulled them to safety,” she wrote in the social media post.
“Then security started yelling, ‘Go, go, go,’ demanding that we leave. It was terrifying. But I am still grateful to the brave Secret Service, to my friends at The Boston Globe, and most especially to Rep. Jamie Raskin,” Kennedy added.
FBI officials are now investigating the shooting, which occurred above the ballroom, as reported by CBS News.
The alleged suspect, identified by multiple outlets as 31-year-old Cole Allen of California, was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, according to police.
Following fire at the staple Washington event, the suspect was taken into police custody.
On Sunday, Raskin recounted the aftermath of the shooting. He told host Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he was speaking to Kennedy when “loud booms” and “crashing sounds” of plates, silverware and other items “flying all over the place” rang out.
“People started yelling: ‘Get down, get down,’” Raskin recalled. “Somebody kind of grabbed me and pushed me from behind. I landed on Kerry and a couple other people, and then people were panicked.”
The Maryland Democrat noted that he “immediately” thought back to the 1968 assassination of Kerry’s father, Robert F. Kennedy.
He also said that after the two got up from the ground after two to three minutes, the “first thing” that Kerry Kennedy remarked was, “This is happening in schools across the country, and the kids have no resources to process their trauma.”
Raskin added, “She was talking about gun violence and thinking about other people. And she’s a great human rights activist. And nobody wants to be in a situation like that. But I was glad to have been with her.”
President Trump, who was making his first appearance at the dinner as sitting president, was evacuated with first lady Melania Trump, Vice President Vance and FBI Director Kash Patel.
Trump, Vance and Patel briefed the press moments later from the White House.
“This was an event dedicated to the freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press and in a certain way it did,” Trump said.
“The room was totally unified,” he said. “It was a very beautiful thing to see.”
Max Rego contributed
Updated at 11:52 a.m. EDT
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
