Montrealer among the guests at White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting

Jack Fattal from Montreal explains what happened at the White House Correspondents' Dinner when an attempted attack took place.

A Montrealer found himself in the middle of the chaos, as shots rang out at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday night in Washington.

Jack Fattal, a lawyer who splits his time between Canada and the U.S., received an invitation to the glitzy gala from a client.

“It was surreal because you really had a chance, if you were outgoing, to speak with anybody and everybody. I mean, the who’s who of America was in that room,” said Fattal.

Fattal was in the men’s room when shots were fired, sparking confusion and sending guests at the event at the Washington Hilton into a panic.

Cole Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, was captured when he tried to burst through security barricades near the hotel’s ballroom, leading to an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents.

Fattal pulled out his phone and started filming what he was witnessing, just steps away from CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer.

Blitzer, who saw the gunman after exiting the men’s restroom, reported being thrown to the ground and covered by a police officer, then being hustled back into the restroom where more than a dozen men were ordered to stay.

Allen, the alleged gunman, has been charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, transporting firearms across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

For the full interview with CTV News Montreal anchor Maya Johnson, watch the video above.