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WHCD shooting: What happened to meals after tragic incident? ‘They freeze dried…’
Gunfire outside the Washington Hilton caused panic and prematurely ended the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Attendees received the first course, but the main courses were not served, and thousands of meals were repurposed instead of wasted.
Why It Matters
This event shows how emergency situations can disrupt high-profile gatherings and how leftover resources can be redirected to aid vulnerable groups.
Timeline
1 Event
WHCD meals: unserved main courses, freeze-dried and donated to shelters
April 29, 2026
Thousands of meals remained unserved at the White House Correspondents' Dinner after gunfire outside the Washington Hilton ballroom caused panic and led to the event's early conclusion. Attendees were served the initial course of their meal—the spring pea and burrata salad—while the main courses, prime chateaubriand steak and Maine lobster, were not provided. The Hilton contributed approximately 2,600 dinners that were not served; the meals were freeze-dried to extend shelf life and later given to shelters for abused women and children in Clifton, Virginia, and Calvert County, Maryland. CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang, who is also president of the White House Correspondents' Association, thanked staff for working through the night under difficult circumstances.