United States President Donald Trump was evacuated tonight (Sunday) from the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, held at the Hilton Hotel in Washington, by Secret Service personnel following a "security incident" - after shots were fired outside the event hall.
Vice President J.D. Vance, members of Trump's cabinet, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who were present at the event, were also quickly evacuated from the hall.
No one was injured. The shooter was neutralized and arrested.
The suspect in the act was captured on security cameras trying to run past security at the scene, armed with a shotgun, and then opening fire at a Secret Service agent. The officer was wearing a bulletproof vest and was not injured.
A security source told Reuters that Allen arrived armed with "a pistol, a shotgun and many knives.""
Two law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that the suspect in the shooting is Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of California. The New York Times reported that Allen acted alone and was not shot or injured by security forces, but was taken to a hospital for medical evaluation.
CNN reported that the shooter worked as a teacher and video game developer. He reportedly donated a small amount of money to the campaign of former Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
The federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia said he was charged with two counts: use of a firearm during a violent crime and assault on a federal employee with a dangerous weapon.
The investigation is being led by the FBI's Counterterrorism Unit.
The U.S. Secret Service said in a statement that it was investigating a shooting near the main screening area at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. "The President and First Lady are safe, as are all of our protected individuals. One individual is in custody. The condition of those involved is not yet known, and law enforcement continues to actively assess the situation.".
Trump addressed the incident in a post he published on the social network Truth Social, in which he wrote: "The Secret Service and law enforcement did a great job. They acted quickly and courageously. The shooter was caught, and I advised that 'the show should go on,' but I will follow completely the guidance of law enforcement. They will make a decision soon.".
Trump later published another post in which he announced that he was leaving the event at the White House and would hold a press conference: "Law enforcement authorities have requested that we leave the venue, in accordance with protocol, and we will do so immediately. I will hold a press conference in 30 minutes.".
At a press conference later that night, Trump said the suspect in the shooting was armed with multiple weapons before being arrested by the Secret Service. He added that one officer was shot, but he was wearing a high-quality bulletproof vest and was not injured.
""He was shot at very close range with a very powerful weapon, and the vest did the job," Trump said. The president called for tighter security measures, saying: "Today we need levels of security that probably no one has ever seen before.".
Trump said the shooter likely acted alone and assessed that the incident was not related to Iran.
He described the incident: "I heard a noise and thought it was a tray falling. It was quite far away. It was a gun. Some people understood immediately what had happened, others less so. I watched to see what was happening, Melania understood immediately what had happened. She said, 'That's a bad noise.'".
The president added at the press conference that "the incident will not deter him from winning the war in Iran.".
Trump continued, describing: "We were evacuated quickly. The Secret Service and the police acted very quickly, it was a matter of seconds until we were out the door. We wanted to continue the event. I don't want to allow these sick people to change the fabric of life, what we do.".
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said charges will be filed soon against the shooter. Blanche emphasized that "the investigation is obviously still ongoing and is just beginning.".
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency was examining a long rifle and backpacks found at the scene, as well as taking statements from witnesses who attended the dinner. He urged anyone with information to contact authorities.
