‘I just want to go home’: Erika Kirk breaks down in emotional moment after White House shooting | Video

A video shows Erika Kirk in tears as she is escorted off following a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 25.

Published on: Apr 26, 2026, 08:21:31 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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A video shows Erika Kirk in tears as she is escorted off following a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 25. Donald Trump and other government officials were evacuated from the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after what sounded like gunshots broke out.

Erika Kirk breaks down in emotional moment after White House shooting (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein) (REUTERS)

“I just want to go home,” a video shows Erika saying, in tears, as she walks away quickly with two men on either side.

Netizens expressed their empathy for Erika, whose husband, Charlie Kirk, was shot dead at an event in Utah last year. Charlie, 31, was allegedly shot dead by Tyler Robinson on September 10 during an appearance at a campus event in Utah. The shooting happened around 12:20 pm local time during a student Q&A at UVU in Orem, per a statement from Utah Valley University (UVU).

“She's clearly shaken... man. Hate this,” one X user commented on the above post. “Get home safely, @MrsErikaKirk. Guardian Angels are hard at work,” wrote another. One wrote, “Poor woman has seen too much violence.”

“Shock always arrives before language catches up, and sometimes that is all a person can say,” wrote a user, while another said, “Such an emotional moment”. “This poor woman,” one user commented.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting

A video shows Trump in the middle of a conversation at the Washington Hilton when he was interrupted by a commotion at the White House table. Loud bangs can be heard in the background. Several Secret Service members then escorted Trump away from the venue as they called out “stay down, stay down”.

Stephen Miller, Trump’s top adviser, was also seen being escorted from the crowd and out of the venue. Senior administration officials like Pete Hegseth were also escorted out by their security details. FBI Director Kash Patel was evacuated from the room after about five gunshots were heard, according to the BBC.

Several attendees were seen crouching down during the chaos, but remained inside after the president was evacuated.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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