Suspect Detained After Shots Fired at White House Correspondents' Dinner

A gunman opened fire while trying to force entry to the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner on Saturday evening, forcing President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet to be rushed off the stage by Secret Service.

Video from the ballroom at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., showed Secret Service agents running onto the stage before escorting the president and Vice President J.D. Vance away. Hundreds of attendees took cover under their tables as gunshots rang out and a voice could be heard shouting, "Get down!"

The gunman was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, by two law enforcement officials to The Associated Press. The FBI said the suspect was detained by law enforcement.

Speaking at a hastily called press conference at the White House after the shooting, Trump said that a law enforcement officer was shot by a "lone wolf whack job" who tried to storm the room where the event was taking place, but the officer was saved by a bulletproof vest and was in "great shape."

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"In light of this evening's events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts to resolving our differences peacefully," Trump said.

The president said he had ordered the release of CCTV footage of the incident, which occurred near a security screening area outside the room where the event was held. The video, which he posted on Truth Social, showed a man running through the security check area before several law enforcement officers opened fire on him.

The Washington Metropolitan Police Department said the suspect charged a Secret Service checkpoint at 8.36 p.m. carrying a "shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives," and that law enforcement "exchanged fire" with the gunman.

What happened at the White House Correspondents' Dinner?

The WHCA dinner is an annual event for White House staff and the press, typically featuring comedy and a satirical speech from the president.

Most people were inside the ballroom when the shooting took place, but CNN’s Wolf Blitzer said he was a few feet away when he witnessed a gunman fire a "very serious weapon" at least six times. He told CNN in an interview that the shooter "seemed to have gone through the metal detector, but he had a weapon and he was firing a weapon."

A TIME journalist attending the event said Secret Service agents ran through the crowd to escort Trump Administration cabinet members to safety immediately after several loud noises were heard on the ballroom floor.

Trump said on Truth Social shortly after the incident that he wanted to continue with the event, but that law enforcement had requested that he leave the premises, "consistent with protocol."

"The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition," he wrote, adding that the event would be rescheduled within 30 days.

Speaking to reporters at the White House later, Trump was asked why he had been targeted for assassination numerous times—including a near miss at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, during the 2024 presidential campaign.

"I've studied assassinations, and I must tell you the most impactful people, the people that do the most—you take a look at the people, Abraham Lincoln, I mean, you go through the people that have gone through this, where they got them, but the people that do the most, the people that make the biggest impact, they're the ones that they go after," he said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.