The evening was meant to honor the press, but it quickly spiraled into terror. Amidst the clinking of glasses and political banter, the sharp crack of gunfire shattered the room's festive veneer. BBC correspondent Gary O'Donoghue recalls the sudden shift from camaraderie to confusion, as the unmistakable sound of bullets sent a jolt of panic through the crowd.

Instinct took over as O'Donoghue and fellow guests dove for cover, scrambling beneath tables to escape the line of fire. The grand hall, usually a place of prestige, became a scene of desperate survival. As the shots rang out, the journalists—typically observers of chaos—found themselves thrust into the center of a terrifying, unfolding nightmare.