Washington: President Donald Trump and senior officials were evacuated after a shooting incident outside the venue of the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner late on Saturday, prompting authorities to halt the event and launch an investigation.
Law enforcement officials said a suspect opened fire outside the ballroom where the president and guests were gathered. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries, though one officer was struck but protected by a bulletproof vest.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the suspect was in custody and that its Washington field office was leading the response. Two officials identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California.
The event, held at the Washington Hilton hotel, was abruptly suspended as security personnel rushed into the ballroom and instructed attendees to take cover. Journalists and guests were seen ducking under tables as armed agents moved toward the stage.
Trump later said he initially mistook the sound of gunfire for something else. “You’re not going to be making any more 18 hour flights to sit around talking about nothing,” he said in a separate comment earlier in the day, while describing the shooting, he added the noise was “quite far away” and recalled the first lady telling him, “That’s a bad noise.”
The president said the motive remained unclear, describing the suspect as “a guy who looked pretty evil when he was down”.
Speaking at a later news conference, Trump said the assailant had been armed with multiple weapons and praised the Secret Service response. “He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job,” he said, referring to the injured officer.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said charges would be filed shortly, adding that “the investigation is obviously ongoing and just started.” FBI Director Kash Patel said agents were examining weapons recovered at the scene and interviewing witnesses.
Trump also called for heightened security measures, saying “today, we need levels of security that probably nobody has ever seen before.”
The White House Correspondents’ Association president, Weijia Jiang, told attendees the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days. “When there is an emergency, we run to the crisis, not away from it,” she said, adding, “Thank God everybody is safe.”
Senior lawmakers from both parties who attended the event expressed relief at the swift response. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was grateful to law enforcement “who acted so quickly to bring the situation under control”, while House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for an end to violence, saying, “The violence and chaos in America must end.”
The Metropolitan Police Department said officers remained at the scene and were coordinating with federal agencies.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a major annual event attended by journalists, politicians and celebrities, has long been subject to extensive security planning by the U.S. Secret Service.
