US President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other senior officials were rushed from the room by the security detail after several shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The scramble came after an armed suspect – later identified as 31-year-old California-based teacher Cole Tomas Allen – attempted to break through a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel.
The suspect and security exchanged fire, after which he was apprehended. One Secret Service agent was hit by a bullet, but avoided major injury due to his ballistic vest, according to media reports.
The motives of the suspect are so far unclear, though CBS News reported that Allen told law enforcement that he wanted to attack Trump officials.
Trump praised the Secret Service for doing a “fantastic job,” adding that “they acted quickly and bravely” and all officials were safe. He also described the presidency as a “dangerous profession,” saying “no country is immune” to political violence.
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26 April 2026
Suspect Cole Allen had no prior criminal record and was not on the radar of law enforcement, according to NBC News. A former high school volleyball teammate described him as “super stable,” “gentle,” and highly intelligent.
“He didn’t have to study. It would just come to him. He was really, really smart,” the person told the network. “Across the board, he was really knowledgeable, really curious.”
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez has condemned “the attempt of aggression against President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania.”
The FBI is preparing to serve a search warrant related to the incident at the dinner, Bill Essayli, the first assistant US attorney for the Central District of California, has said, as cited by NBC. The report came amid a heavy police presence in Torrance, California around the home of the suspect, Cole Allen.
The Secret Service agent injured in the attack has been released from the hospital, NBC reports, citing a source. Trump earlier said the officer was hit by a bullet but was likely saved by his ballistic vest.
The DC police have said the suspect apparently acted alone, adding that two firearms and multiple knives have been recovered.
The suspected shooter, Cole Allen, has told law enforcement that he wanted to attack Trump officials, CBS News reports, citing two sources.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said she was relieved to learn that Trump and the first lady “are doing well after the recent events.”
“We send our respect. Violence should never be the way,” she added.
Videos on social media show a heavy police presence in Torrance, California, the home town of suspected shooter Cole Allen.
A video posted by CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil shows senior staff and Cabinet members being evacuated from the venue, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Alina Habba, Todd Blanche, Stephen Miller, Katie Miller, and Pete Hegseth.
Attendees can be heard shouting “God bless America” and “USA, USA” as the group is escorted out.
Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk – executive director of Turning Point USA and a prominent supporter of Donald Trump, who was shot and killed at an event in Utah last year – was also attending the event.
Footage circulating on social media shows her visibly distressed as she is escorted away, saying: “I just want to go home.”
Donald Trump described the presidency as a “dangerous profession,” saying that “no country is immune” to political violence.
“It comes with the territory,” he said, claiming he was targeted for his policies. “We’re going to continue to do a great job. That’s all I can do,” he added.
The suspect will initially face two charges – using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon – according to US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C.
“It is clear, based upon what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could, and thankfully, because of the checkpoint right outside the ballroom where thousands of people were situated to hear the president of the United States, that checkpoint worked,” Pirro said during a press conference. “There was no one who was injured, but it was clear where this defendant was going.”
Pirro added that the suspect is expected to be arraigned Monday in federal district court and may face additional charges as the investigation continues.
The suspected shooter, identified by multiple media outlets as 31-year-old Cole Allen, had reportedly been employed by C2 Education, a tutoring service in Torrance, California, and received a “Teacher of the Month” award in December 2024. The California Institute of Technology confirmed in an email to CBS News that Allen graduated in 2017 but did not provide further details.
Preliminary findings indicate the suspect was a guest at the hotel and approached a checkpoint carrying a shotgun, Jeffrey Carroll, interim chief of police for the Metropolitan Police Department, said. Officers have since secured a room linked to the suspected shooter and are conducting standard investigative procedures to assess its contents.
Carroll added that the suspect was not struck by police gunfire and was transported to a hospital for evaluation.
The interim chief stated that the suspect was not previously known to Washington, D.C. police, and that authorities have yet to determine a motive.
The shooting suspect – described by Trump as a “sick person” – was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, two law enforcement officials told AP.
The US president has shared grainy security footage of an armed man trying to run through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton, where Trump and other top officials were attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Footage shared by Trump on Truth Social shows the suspect bolting past a security barricade as Secret Service agents run toward him. The president also posted several photos of the man, whom authorities identified as a 30-year-old California resident.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said federal prosecutors are preparing to file multiple charges against the suspect.
“I expect you will see charges filed shortly,” Blanche said. “The charges should be self-evident, given the conduct, but as you’ll hear, there will be multiple charges surrounding the shooting, around the possession of firearms and anything else that we can get on this guy.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said authorities “will be examining this individual’s background thoroughly.”
“That process has already started... We will analyze all evidence immediately to make sure that we safeguard this country,” he told a press conference standing beside Trump.
“One officer was shot, but was saved by the fact that he was wearing, obviously, a very good bulletproof vest,” Trump said, adding that the officer is “doing great.”
“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 said.
President Donald Trump is speaking from the White House briefing room after a shooting incident disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington on Saturday night.
The Secret Service said the shooting incident unfolded “near the main magnetometer screening area,” adding that one individual was in custody.
One of the videos appeared to show Vice President J.D. Vance being hurried off the stage by Secret Service agents during the security scare.
Videos circulating online show alleged suspect lying on the floor under a foil blanket, with his hands tied behind his back, surrounded by security agents.
Before the dramatic events unfolded, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt joked that “there will be shots fired tonight” during Trump’s speech.
The US president said that law enforcement had requested that everyone leave the premises “consistent with protocol.” He promised to deliver a press conference about the incident from the White House Press Briefing Room in about half an hour.
Another video shoes security presence outside the venue.
According to footage from the scene, the incident triggered a major security response and immediate chaos inside one of Washington’s most high-profile political and media gatherings.
The annual dinner, held by the White House Correspondents’ Association, had just begun, and Trump and first lady Melania Trump had arrived only shortly before the disruption unfolded, cutting short what would have been his first appearance at the event as president.
Authorities had not publicly detailed the nature of the threat in the initial aftermath, and early reporting stopped short of definitively confirming a shooting. White House reporter Jeff Mordock said there were “several loud bangs” before Secret Service agents, with guns drawn, pushed reporters out of the room shouting, “Shots fired.”
President Donald Trump was abruptly evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton. The Secret Service and other law enforcement personnel rushed into the ballroom as guests ducked under tables, according to footage from the scene.