The US marine band had just broken into song when the first thud rang out. A dull crack sliced through the laughter and polite chatter at the annual White House correspondents’ dinner, which had been packed in anticipation of Donald Trump’s long-awaited return to the event.
Before anyone had time to realise what had happened, an army of black-tie-clad Secret Service agents leapt to their feet, scrambling across tables and sending wine bottles flying.
“Get down!” they screamed as they clambered towards the US president, who was quickly rushed off stage, along with the first lady, by his close protection detail.
The cause of the panic soon became clear. A gunman armed with “multiple” weapons had rushed the main security checkpoint on the ground floor of the Hilton International Hotel. His target? The US president.
The attempted attack came barely 24 hours before the King’s four-day state visit to the United States, raising security concerns about the trip.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the incident would prompt “a number of discussions” with the White House over whether plans should be changed, although the British ambassador later confirmed the visit would still go ahead.
In the ballroom, journalists’ faces were lit by their phone screens as we rushed to file the latest on the attack. Many were on their knees, crouching beneath tables. Some hid, while others stood, eager to film the chaos that was unfolding.
Dr Mehmet Oz, who leads the US government’s centres for medicare and medicaid services, leaned in as he was moved towards the exit by Secret Service staff. “Shots,” he told me, before being ushered out of the ballroom.
By now, heavily armed officers in tactical gear and armed with AR-15 rifles lined the stage where the president had sat moments before, scanning the room for signs of suspicious movement.
Journalists began to rise to their feet. Phones to their ears, they made calls to their news desks and loved ones, describing the chaos unfolding before us.
Mr Trump, along with Melania Trump, the first lady, and JD Vance, the vice-president, had been rushed to a secure location somewhere deep in the building.
Guests quickly began to speculate about what had happened. Information was sparse. As part of their security protocol, the Secret Service immediately jammed mobile phone signals, making it nearly impossible to communicate with the outside world. The hotel was in lockdown.
Then, Weijia Yang, the chairman of the White House Correspondents’ Association, took to the stage.
She said: “I know everyone’s going to want as many details as possible, and right now, we don’t have that, but I can tell you that our programme is going to resume momentarily.”
Outside, unknown to us in the room at the time, Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old man from Torrance, California, and an apparent guest of the hotel, lay face down after being tackled by Secret Service agents.
He had rushed the security checkpoint, which included airport-like metal detectors, in an apparent attempt to reach the president, who sat in the ballroom just a few seconds away on foot.
Back inside, the first set of details was beginning to emerge.
Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Quite an evening in DC. Secret Service and law enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely.
“The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but will entirely be guided by law enforcement.”
Guests and journalists alike began to speculate about security. Upon arriving at the Hilton, I had remarked to a colleague just how light the measures had been. No ID checks. No pat-downs on entry. A simple flash of a cardboard ticket, which was exactly the same as last year’s, was all that was needed to enter.
Indeed, at least one reporter who missed out on a seat had managed to get in without a ticket.
By now, the Secret Service lifted its lockdown, and attendees made their way to the exits. Some returned to their seats to start the spring pea and burrata salad that had been served moments before the chaos ensued.
Any hope of the event restarting was quickly put to bed by the president, who announced he would hold a press conference in the White House briefing room some two miles away.
“Law enforcement has requested that we leave the premises, consistent with protocol, which we will do, immediately. I will be giving a press conference in 30 minutes from the White House press briefing room,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“The first lady, plus the vice-president, and all cabinet members, are in perfect condition. We will be speaking to you in a half an hour.”
And so, the rush to the White House began. After a brief stop to collect my Hard Pass, the identification needed to access the White House grounds, I rushed to the briefing room on my noble steed – a rental electric scooter.
Dozens of other journalists, still clad in black tie, began to arrive. The show, as the president insisted, would go on. But for those in the room, it was nothing like the script.
When the dust had settled on Sunday morning, the president spoke again, telling Fox News that the suspected gunman was a “very troubled guy” who “hates Christians”. “The guy was a sick guy when you read his manifesto,” he said. “It was a religious thing. It was strongly anti-Christian.”
As he had told reporters on Saturday night, he again described the would-be assassin as “a lone wolf whack job”.
A manifesto, allegedly sent by the suspect to his family members 10 minutes before he opened fire, was circulated online. In it, Mr Allen reportedly called himself the “friendly federal assassin” and revealed his intention to kill Trump administration officials.
Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, appeared to confirm this, telling NBC News that the alleged shooter “set out to target folks that work in the administration, likely including the president”. He added that the suspect was “not actively co-operating”.
Due to face court in Washington on Monday, perhaps we will hear more about his motives. For the likes of me, it was not the evening I expected. And for all the wrong reasons, it will be one I will never forget.