Hollywood actress Cheryl Hines took to social media hours after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, describing the panic that gripped the guests as they scrambled for safety as shots were heard.

Hines shared a first-person account on social media, recounting the chaos inside the ballroom.

“We were there, and we heard shots, and everybody got under the tables. Nobody knew what was going on,” she said while speaking to the camera from a bathroom.

Hines, who attended the event with her husband, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said security personnel quickly intervened to evacuate them.

“Bobby’s security detail surrounded us and took us. They really had to lift me over (the) chairs because I’m in heels and a gown. And they took us through all of the back ways, and we got in the car and left,” she added.

The annual dinner, which honours journalism and the First Amendment, was briefly disrupted after a man armed with guns and knives stormed the lobby area outside the ballroom, prompting a swift response from Secret Service agents. Authorities said the suspect appeared to be acting alone, though the motive and intended target remain unclear.

President Trump was not injured in the incident and there were no reports of fatalities. Minutes after the event began, guests were seen taking cover under tables as security forces moved to contain the situation.

Later, addressing reporters at the White House, Trump said, “When you're impactful, they go after you. When you're not impactful, they leave you alone”.

Hines is a two-time Emmy nominee best known for her role as Cheryl David on the sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm. She has also appeared in shows such as Suburgatory and directed the film Serious Moonlight. She was most recently seen in the 2024 film Popular Theory.