Gunfire broke out during the White House Correspondents? Dinner in Washington, D.C., forcing the evacuation of US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and hundreds of guests attending one of the capital’s highest-profile annual events.
The incident took place at the Washington Hilton at around 8:35 p.m. local time on Saturday evening (00:35 GMT), when a man reportedly rushed into the hotel foyer and attempted to get past security officers and metal detectors. Loud gunshots were heard moments later, triggering an immediate Secret Service response.
Agents quickly removed Trump and other senior officials from the venue, while guests remained inside for nearly an hour before the ballroom was fully cleared. The annual dinner, traditionally attended by journalists, government officials, diplomats and celebrities, came to an abrupt end.
Trump later confirmed that one Secret Service officer was shot at close range but survived because he was wearing body armor. ?One officer was shot, but saved by the fact that he was wearing a very good bulletproof vest,? the president said. ?He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job. I just spoke to the officer, and he’s doing great.?
The suspected gunman was subdued by Secret Service personnel and taken into custody at the scene. U.S. media identified him as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California. Authorities said he is expected to face multiple federal charges, including using a firearm during a violent crime.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said formal charges would be filed quickly. ?The charges should be self-evident, given the conduct,? he stated, adding that prosecutors were also examining firearm possession violations and any other applicable offenses. District of Columbia prosecutor Jeanine Pirro later confirmed that the suspect would be arraigned Monday in federal district court.
According to interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeff Carroll, the suspect was carrying a shotgun, a handgun and several knives. Preliminary information suggests he may have been a guest at the hotel. He was also taken to a hospital for medical evaluation after the arrest.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the man rushed a Secret Service checkpoint in the hotel lobby before agents stopped him. She noted there was no evidence at this stage suggesting additional suspects were involved.
Trump said the attacker appeared to be acting alone. ?My impression is he was a lone wolf,? he told reporters, adding that the man was ?armed with multiple weapons? and describing him as ?a sick person, a very sick person.?
Asked whether he believed he was the intended target, Trump replied, ?I guess.? CBS News, citing unnamed sources, reported that the suspect told investigators he wanted to target officials connected to the president. The same report said between five and eight shots were fired during the incident.
FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators had already begun a full review of the suspect’s background. ?We will thoroughly examine his background and analyze all evidence immediately to make sure that we safeguard this country,? Patel said.
Trump also used the incident to argue for the need for a new ballroom currently under construction at the White House, saying the Hilton was not designed for events requiring such a high level of security.
?It’s not a particularly secure building,? he said. ?This is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we?re planning at the White House. It’s drone-proof, it’s bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom. That’s why Secret Service, that’s why the military are demanding it.?
When asked whether the shooting could be linked to tensions surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz crisis, Trump said he did not believe so, though he added: ?You never know.?
The White House Correspondents? Dinner is more than a political and media gathering. Organized by the White House Correspondents? Association, it serves as a major fundraising event for journalism students across the United States. Scholarship recipients attend the dinner and are paired with mentors who cover the White House.
This year’s event, expected to be a major social and political occasion, instead ended in panic, lockdowns and a major federal criminal investigation.
