President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington on Saturday night after a man opened fire on security personnel nearby.
The suspect fired a shotgun at a United States Secret Service agent at a checkpoint inside the Washington Hilton before being tackled and arrested.
Speaking at a hastily arranged briefing at the White House, Trump said the officer had been saved by his bulletproof vest and was in “good shape.” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi confirmed the officer had been released from hospital.
It was not immediately clear whether Trump had been the intended target of the attack, though he told reporters he believed he was. The president has survived two previous attempts on his life since 2024, a period marked by deepening political polarization in the United States.
Suspect Believed To Be ‘Lone Wolf’
A law enforcement official identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California resident. Little was immediately known about his background, though social media posts suggested he worked as a teacher in Torrance, near Los Angeles.
Washington interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, but authorities said it was too early to determine a motive.
Based on preliminary findings, the suspect is believed to have been a guest at the hotel, Carroll added.
The incident, which unfolded at around 8:35pm (0035 GMT Sunday), raised fresh concerns about the security of senior U.S. officials, many of whom had gathered in the hotel’s ballroom for the annual dinner.
Investigators are expected to focus on how the suspect was able to bring a shotgun into the hotel, which hosts the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, a high-profile fixture of Washington’s social calendar.
The black-tie event was attended by members of Trump’s cabinet and other senior administration officials under heavy security. It marked the first time Trump had attended the dinner as president, having boycotted it in previous years.
Following the incident, Trump addressed reporters in an extraordinary late-night press conference at the White House briefing room, flanked by Vice President JD Vance and cabinet members. Melania Trump stood nearby and declined to speak when asked about the evening’s events.
The Washington Hilton was also the site of the Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, when President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded outside the hotel in 1981.
Closed-circuit television footage later released by Trump on Truth Social showed the suspect running through a security checkpoint, briefly catching personnel off guard before they drew their weapons.
No shots were fired at the suspect, who managed to pass through two checkpoints before being subdued.
“You know, he charged from 50 yards away, so he was very far away from the room. He was moving. He was really moving,” Trump said after the gala was canceled.
Officials believe the suspect acted alone, Trump added.
How the Incident Unfolded
Video footage showed Trump and the first lady seated at a banquet table on stage when a commotion at the rear of the ballroom — triggered by the sound of gunfire — caused alarm among attendees.
Guests began shouting, “Get down, get down!” as many of the 2,600 attendees, dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns, took cover under tables.
Security personnel drew their weapons, with some pushing cabinet members to the floor and shielding them, while others formed a protective cordon.
Armed officers in combat gear stormed the stage, pointing rifles into the ballroom as Trump, his wife and Vance were evacuated. Cabinet members seated across the room were escorted out individually by their security teams.
While most attendees remained under cover, some were heard chanting “USA, USA!”
Trump remained backstage for about an hour after being removed from the stage, according to a source. He later said he had not wanted to leave the event, echoing his defiant response following a previous assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.
In that incident, Trump was shot and wounded in the ear by a 20-year-old gunman, who was later killed by security personnel.
Just over two months later, Secret Service agents intercepted another armed individual hiding in bushes at the Trump International Golf Club while Trump was on the course. Authorities classified the incident as an assassination attempt, and the suspect was sentenced to life in prison in February.
