[Videos below.] An individual suspected of opening fire has been taken into custody after gunshots rang out during a press dinner attended by President Donald Trump in Washington, according to witnesses and reporters who say the president was swiftly escorted out of the venue.

Guests at the formal White House Correspondents’ Dinner ducked for cover as loud popping sounds echoed through the room, prompting many to dive beneath tables in an effort to shield themselves.

Armed tactical units quickly moved onto the stage area where Trump had been moments earlier, securing the space after his evacuation.

Law enforcement officers flooded the grounds of the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the event was being held, while helicopters circled above the scene.

A pool report, citing the Secret Service, confirmed that the suspected gunman had been apprehended.

Reports indicate that both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance were not injured in the incident.

A volunteer working at the dinner said the alleged attacker appeared to assemble a “long” weapon in a section near a terrace-level entrance that had minimal oversight before beginning to shoot and heading toward the main ballroom.

The witness, Helen Mabus, who identified herself as a volunteer from Harrisburg, Pa., described a “makeshift room” near the entrance where bar carts were kept and where “there was no security” at the time.

“He was in that room […] he grabbed it out of a bag or something,” Mabus said, adding that the weapon “was long” and “didn’t look like a typical gun.”

According to Mabus, the suspect remained partially hidden from security personnel while putting the weapon together inside that room, then suddenly moved toward the central event area.

“He put it together and […] ran towards the stairs to go down to the ballroom,” she said.

The suspect then opened fire in several directions, sending attendees and staff scrambling for safety.

“It just seem like he was shooting all over the place,” Mabus said, estimating she heard “at least 10 shots.”

She said the gunfire triggered immediate panic, with people “screaming and running” while Secret Service and other armed personnel rushed toward the danger.

Mabus said she fled in the opposite direction and did not see the suspect apprehended, adding that the chaos unfolded just steps from the path leading down to the ballroom where hundreds of high-profile guests had gathered.

{Matzav.com}