The Saturday night incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner sent the event into chaos as shots rang out and a man with weapons charged toward the ballroom area outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner attended by President Donald Trump, according to the Associated Press. Trump was unharmed and was rushed off the stage as Secret Service agents moved to protect the president and other VIPs, while guests dived under tables.
Police said the armed man was a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was held, and that he was taken into custody. Authorities said they believe he opened fire and acted alone, and they did not describe who he intended to target or what motive drove the attack.
Trump was evacuated from the stage shortly after the shooting began just outside the large subterranean ballroom that held thousands of guests. In the immediate aftermath, the dinner staff and organizers initially attempted to resume the program, with hotel staff refolding napkins and refilling water glasses and aides adjusting a teleprompter for Trump’s remarks. Secret Service guidance ultimately led Trump to be returned to the White House, and the event was scrapped for the night.
About two hours later, Trump spoke from the White House and said, “When you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone.” He also said, “They seem to think he was a lone wolf,” adding that he was safe and still in his tuxedo. Trump told reporters he hoped the event would be rescheduled within 30 days, and the quick access of the armed suspect toward the ballroom prompted immediate scrutiny of security precautions for an event attended by senior government officials.
The Secret Service response involved rapid movement in and around the ballroom as guests tried to shield themselves. The AP reported that audible gasps echoed through the hall as hundreds of journalists called in information. The incident drew counterassault teams swarming the stage after the shots, and one officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering, officials said.
The AP also reported that video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents moved toward him. Police said the gunman was tackled, not injured, and was being evaluated at a hospital. At a later news conference, FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency was examining a long gun and shell casings recovered from the scene and was interviewing witnesses from the dinner.
Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, in reporting that cited two law enforcement officials who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. The AP said Allen was facing two firearm-related charges, including a count of assaulting an officer with a deadly weapon, and that he was expected in court Monday.
Inside the ballroom, guests appeared to have initially mistaken the start of the disturbance. Trump said he initially thought the noise was a tray dropping, while some journalists believed there were between five and eight gunshots as the situation escalated. Some attendees ducked under tables in large numbers as others yelled for people to get out of the way, and one chant of “God Bless America” began while Trump was escorted offstage.
After the incident, Vice President JD Vance was removed from the room first, the AP said, and agents initially covered Trump before escorting him and first lady Melania Trump from the room. Trump briefly stumbled while leaving the stage, according to the AP, and he was assisted by his security detail as the hotel and security posture tightened around the event area.
Beyond the immediate scramble, political leaders and organizers responded to the disruption in the hours that followed. White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang said, “We will do this again,” the AP reported. House Speaker Mike Johnson and his wife Kelly, who both attended the event, said they were “praying for our country tonight,” and House Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York wrote on social media that, “The violence and chaos in America must end.”
The shooting took place during a first-time Trump attendance at the dinner since he became president, an AP framing the event as already under heightened scrutiny. The AP reported that Trump’s relationship with the press had been a recurring subject in his second term, and that past presidents who attended the dinner generally spoke about free speech and the First Amendment while delivering light roasts.