During a visit to the White House, 21-year-old Ryan Naef and his 47-year-old mother, Amanda, from Vermont, were photographing the scene when they spotted Vance’s motorcade. Suddenly, they were startled by the sound of five or six gunshots. Ryan recalled, "Every officer and every vehicle in the vicinity raced towards the scene." He expressed their confusion about the unfolding events, which left them in shock as the situation escalated rapidly.