Gunfire erupted Saturday evening outside the ballroom of the Washington Hilton, where the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was underway, sending President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump rushing off the dais and out of the building. The incident unfolded roughly five minutes into the dinner hour, around 8:43 p.m., when a commotion broke out near a security checkpoint at the back of the venue.
Trump later described the scene at a White House news conference, saying a suspect armed with multiple weapons charged toward the checkpoint before Secret Service agents moved in. He said he initially mistook the noise for a falling tray and did not immediately take cover. Within seconds, a Secret Service member shouted that shots had been fired and agents with drawn weapons sprinted through the aisles toward the president. Hundreds of guests dropped beneath their tables. Trump and the first lady were escorted out of the hotel at approximately 9:45 p.m.
Secret Service officer shot, protective gear credited with saving his life
A Secret Service officer was struck by a bullet during the shooting incident, though the officer’s ballistic vest absorbed the impact. The officer was taken to a hospital and released the same evening. USSS Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi said the protective gear the officer was wearing helped avoid what could have been a far worse outcome. Trump told reporters he had spoken with the officer and found him in good spirits.
The suspect did not breach the ballroom. Vice President JD Vance, along with several senior Cabinet members including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, FBI Director Kash Patel, Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, were all in attendance and confirmed safe. Trump later posted on social media that the first lady, vice president, and all Cabinet members were in perfect condition.
Suspect identified as Cole Tomas Allen of California
Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. He was taken into custody at the scene. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced that Allen would face charges of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. She said he was expected to be arraigned Monday in federal court and that additional charges were anticipated.
Federal agents descended on Allen’s Torrance home shortly before midnight Pacific time. A convoy of armored vehicles and FBI agents in combat gear moved through the neighborhood as local police taped off the block. Authorities were awaiting a search warrant as neighbors gathered outside to watch.
Trump described Allen as believed to be a lone actor, though he said the motive had not been established. A brief surveillance video the president shared on social media appeared to show a man running past the security checkpoint as agents drew their weapons.
Journalists at the dinner moved quickly to cover the story
The dinner, hosted annually by the White House Correspondents’ Association, drew hundreds of journalists, media executives, and administration officials. When the Secret Service rushed Trump off stage, reporters inside the ballroom immediately began filing reports from their seats using phones and live streams. CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, who was standing just outside the ballroom when the shots were fired, delivered an eyewitness account on live television within minutes of the incident.
White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang later addressed the crowd inside the ballroom, acknowledging what she had seen reporters do in real time. Trump thanked her by name during his news conference at the White House.
A venue with its own history
The Washington Hilton carries a notable place in American political history. It was outside the same hotel in 1981 that John Hinckley Jr. shot and wounded President Ronald Reagan. Saturday’s incident marked the second time Trump has been targeted in a public setting. A bullet grazed his ear at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July 2024, and a federal agent fired on an armed man near his Florida golf club months later.
Trump said Saturday’s dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.
