Shots Fired at White House Correspondents’ Dinner; Trump and First Lady Safe

Shots were fired Saturday night near the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel, prompting the evacuation of President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and other attendees. The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, was taken into custody and hospitalized with injuries sustained while being subdued, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

The incident occurred near the main security screening area outside the ballroom where the dinner was held. Attendees reported hearing three to eight shots, with some describing the sound as similar to gunfire heard during an assassination attempt on President Trump earlier in 2024. Gunpowder was also smelled near the back of the room. A Secret Service agent was struck by a bullet but was wearing a bulletproof vest and is expected to recover.

President Trump and the First Lady were swiftly evacuated from the stage by Secret Service agents as the gunfire erupted. Trump praised the quick response of law enforcement and the Secret Service, stating, “The first lady and I were taken very quickly, rushed off the stage.” He later held a press conference at the White House briefing room, where he described the ballroom as “very, very secure” and said the shooter charged the security checkpoint from about 50 yards away.

Trump called the suspect a “whack job” and a “sick person,” asserting that the gunman likely acted alone and was a “lone wolf.” He denied any connection between the shooting and the ongoing war in Iran but said investigators were still gathering information. The president emphasized the importance of continuing the dinner to resist allowing “these sick people, these thugs” to change “the fabric of our lives.”

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the investigation was ongoing and that charges against the suspect would be filed shortly. FBI Director Kash Patel and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin joined Trump at the briefing.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, an annual event celebrating journalism and free speech, was suspended following the shooting. Trump announced plans to reschedule the dinner within 30 days, promising it would be “bigger and better, even nicer.”

Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and a CBS News correspondent, addressed attendees before the event was cleared, highlighting the fragility of First Amendment freedoms and praising journalists for their commitment to public service, especially in crises.

Several Cabinet members were present at the dinner, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who were among those escorted out by security. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed gratitude for law enforcement’s swift action and called for an end to violence and chaos in America. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was also at the event, thanked first responders for their quick response.

The Washington Hilton Hotel, the dinner’s venue, was previously the site of an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981. The 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner marked President Trump’s first attendance as president, amid ongoing tensions between his administration and the press.

The Secret Service and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department continue to investigate the shooting incident. President Trump shared security footage on social media to demonstrate the rapid response by law enforcement during the event.