AP delivers standout coverage of correspondents’ dinner shooting amid chaos and confusion inside ballroom

Associated Press journalists attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner delivered real-time, accurate reporting across formats amid unfolding chaos as a man tried to storm the event armed with a gun and knives.

Staff inside the ballroom heard loud booms and immediately began trying to figure out what was going on, sending publishable material to desk editors describing the scene while others captured photos and video. While many attendees ducked under their tables for safety, AP photographers Alex Brandon and Mark Schiefelbein stood up and started taking photos of the ballroom, as well as of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Brandon then darted outside the ballroom to where the action was, capturing the first photo of the suspect lying on the ground at the top of the stairs.

When communication channels faced connectivity issues, White House Deputy Bureau Chief Zeke Miller called Dave Bauder and Ted Anthony and dictated material to them. Meanwhile, many staff started calling sources, including reporter Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker, who talked to sources by phone and worked the room to see what information they could get. In addition to reporting in all formats, several reporters including Aamer Madhani did standup videos inside and outside the ballroom, giving audiences and customers a firsthand look of the scene inside. AP’s photo freelancers, who also were inside and outside the ballroom, took photos that captured the mood and the action of the scene.
As they covered the news, AP staff inside the ballroom also helped one another and their guests. Some evacuated their guests to safety; others checked on the wellbeing of those around them. Staff worked together not just to get the news out but to make sure their colleagues and peers were OK amid such a scary and unnerving situation. In addition to AP’s editorial employees, staff in Revenue, Technology, Elections, Legal and other departments, including AP’s executive leadership team, helped with news coverage and logistics.
Under the calm organization of duty manager Katie Vogel, editors, writers, video producers, photo editors, digital and audio producers and many more worked around the clock to support the team inside the ballroom. They wrote the story, filed alerts, took dictation, fast-filed photos and video, launched a live blog and so much more.

The speed paid off. AP’s first news alert and video edit moved within minutes of Trump being evacuated and AP was alone with a photo of the suspect lying on the floor after he was in custody. AP also was first with news that Trump and Vance were uninjured, and quickly was able to say with authority that the suspect was in custody and that the officer shot was expected to be OK. The various video edits throughout the night were used thousands of times by customers and the initial moment drew an AP-record on social with nearly 188 million views on TikTok. The AP also was among the only news media to quickly get photos and video from outside the suspect’s home in California.

The judges praised the incredible skill, collaboration and professionalism shown by AP journalists across formats and locations in delivering fast, accurate and impactful news coverage that put AP out in front at such an important moment.

All staff involved in the coverage are honored as this week’s Best of AP – first winner.