The American President, Donald Trump, and other participants at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington were evacuated on Saturday night after gunshots were fired. Here is what we know about the shooting.
What happened in the ballroom?
Gunshots were heard after the welcome speech during the gala dinner at the Hilton hotel in Washington. Security teams, armed with weapons, positioned themselves on stage where Donald Trump was seated with his wife Melania, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials who were quickly evacuated.
Hundreds of guests in evening attire in the ballroom sought shelter under tables, then made their way to the hotel lobby before exiting outside. President Trump, seated at the head table on a raised platform, initially did not react. Then heavily armed security agents evacuated the 79-year-old billionaire, along with other senior officials including Vice President JD Vance, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, and several ministers. Authorities stated that no personalities or guests at the gala were injured.
How did the shooting unfold?
According to authorities, a “lone shooter” breached a security checkpoint in the hotel lobby just outside the ballroom where the dinner was taking place, around 8:36 pm (GMT).
Donald Trump posted images on his Truth Social platform appearing to show the suspect rushing the checkpoint before being overwhelmed by police. “He was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and several knives,” stated interim Metropolitan Police Department chief Jeffery Carroll to journalists.
Law enforcement officers exchanged fire with the suspect and “engaged the individual.” A Secret Service officer in uniform was “struck in the bulletproof vest” and taken to the hospital but was in good condition, Carroll specified. The suspect was not hit by bullets but was taken to the hospital for examination. He was in custody and is due to appear before a federal judge on Monday in a federal court.
A rifle and shells were found at the scene, as confirmed by FBI Director Kash Patel, who stated that the FBI was conducting witness interviews as part of their investigations.
Who is the suspect?
Donald Trump shared photos of the alleged shooter, shirtless and handcuffed, face turned toward the ground in what appears to be the Hilton lobby. Authorities have not yet publicly confirmed his identity, but according to American media, he is a 31-year-old man named Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California. An AFP photographer saw FBI agents outside a residence in that city late Saturday. The LinkedIn profile of “Cole Allen,” whose photo matches those released by Trump, describes him as a mechanical engineer, computer scientist, video game developer, and educator.
Based on preliminary information, “we believe he was one of the hotel’s guests,” said Jeffery Carroll to journalists. The apprehended man is considered the sole suspect in the case, officials mentioned. He currently faces two charges: using a firearm during a violent crime and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, stated federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro. Additional charges may be added as the investigation progresses.
“My impression is that he was a lone wolf,” declared Donald Trump, adding that the suspect’s motivation had not yet been established, but he believed the shooter was “sick.”
Were there security failures?
Questions were raised about the security setup at the reception and how a weapon could have been brought into the hotel. Participants mentioned a metal detection portal outside the ballroom but no such control at the hotel entrance.
Donald Trump initially said it was “not a particularly secure building” but later affirmed that the shooter did not breach the ballroom where the event was held, as it was “very, very secure.”
The checkpoint the suspect tried to breach was “just outside the ballroom,” authorities stated. “Because [the agents at] that checkpoint did [their] job, no one was injured,” emphasized Jeanine Pirro. “We will review the videos throughout the hotel to understand how the weapon entered, how it made its way up here,” added Jeffery Carroll. According to Donald Trump, the security services did “a far better job than at Butler,” where he was the target of an assassination attempt in 2024 during a campaign rally in the state of Pennsylvania.
