Juan Cuotto is a junior at West Potomac. Working as a server where the White House Correspondent’s Dinner occurred, Cuotto initially viewed the night as an opportunity to catch a glimpse of some of the country’s most powerful political figures. 

“I was working [at the Washington Hilton Hotel],” Cuotto described. “I was a waiter. I was with my dad and my brother.” 

According to the White House Correspondents’ Association, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is intended to celebrate journalism and support the next generation of reporters. Their website says, “Our annual dinner is our main source of revenue to finance all of our work, including support of the journalists working to cover the president, events and programs to educate the public about the value of the First Amendment and a free press, and scholarships to help the next generation of journalists.”

Cuotto explained the atmosphere inside the ballroom during the dinner. 

“Trump was going to give a speech, and another guy gave the introduction speech,” he said. “Then he stopped and said, ‘let’s take a break before the president talks and let’s eat dinner.’”

However, moments later, the mood in the ballroom shifted dramatically. Cuotto heard something. 

“I thought someone dropped something, like a bottle of wine or something,” he said. “But after the two shots, … my dad said, ‘This is a shooting.’”

Despite having no emergency training, Cuotto’s first reaction was to help bring others to safety. 

Cuotto described, “I told everybody to go under a table, and I covered myself with a column … I told my dad too, because my dad is, like, 65.”

What stood out to Cuotto was the unusual behavior of the guests at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. While many appeared panicked, some appeared strangely calm considering the situation. “They were making jokes,” he said. “A guy just was drinking wine and eating, and he heard the shots, and he kept eating like nothing happened.”

Reflecting on the event, Cuotto connected this event to what he sees as a growing division in American politics. 

“I think we’re super polarized. Everything. People justify more for their ideas,” he said.

When asked why he thought this was, Cuotto explained, “I think social media is a factor. People can say everything on social media and they don’t think their words have consequences. … You know, that’s how people get radicalized.”