US President Donald Trump was safely evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night following a shooting incident outside the ballroom of a hotel in Washington.
The suspect – now in custody – was armed with guns and knives and has been identified as a 31-year-old man from California who is believed to have acted alone, according to multiple US media outlets.
Shooting Incident
Trump, First Lady Melania and Cabinet members were attending the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel when a man stormed the lobby and opened fire with a shotgun on security personnel outside the ballroom.
The US President, his wife and senior leaders, including Vice President JD Vance, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were rushed off the stage. All guests were safe but a Secret Service agent was shot in the bullet-resistant vest.
Commenting on the incident, Trump said that the suspect was arrested, commending Secret Service and Law Enforcement. He added that the event will be rescheduled within 30 days.
Suspect Arrested
The suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from California, who is believed to have been a guest at the Washington Hilton. He was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives, according to police.
Trump posted a video footage on Truth Social showing the suspect running past a security checkpoint, catching security personnel off-guard before they ran toward him.
Officials believe the suspect acted alone and law enforcement is investigating his target. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said she had “no reason” to believe anyone else was involved.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is examining a long gun and shell casings recovered from the scene, as well as interviewing witnesses from the dinner. He urged members of the public to share “any information whatsoever related to this event.”
Trump’s Reaction
The US President, safe and uninjured, held a press conference shortly after the incident. “A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service,” Trump noted. “They seem to think he was a lone wolf,” he added.
He described the gunman as a “sick person,” adding that “he was a guy who looked pretty evil when he was down.” Later, Trump posted a photo of the suspect on the floor after he had been arrested.
Moreover, Trump said that one officer was shot but “saved by the fact that he was wearing a very good bulletproof vest. He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun,” he said.
Third Assassination Attempt
The incident marks the third time since 2024 that Trump had been the target of assassination attempts.
In July 2024, while he was campaigning for reelection, Trump was the target of a shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where he was wounded in his upper ear. The FBI confirmed the shooting was an assassination attempt and identified and neutralized the gunman.
Two months later, Secret Service agents spotted the muzzle of an AK-47-style rifle poking out of the shrubbery that borders Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, while he was playing. The incident was deemed an assassination attempt and the suspect was sentenced to life in prison in February.
“When you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone,” Trump said in the press conference after Saturday night’s shooting incident.
