Loud bangs ripped through the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night, sending guests diving for cover as Secret Service agents with guns drawn stormed the room, shouting, “Shots fired!”
The annual black-tie gathering was thrown into chaos as President Donald Trump and other top officials were rushed out under heavy security.
“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended,” Trump later wrote on Truth Social, adding that the first lady, the vice president, and all Cabinet members were “in perfect condition.”
26 April 2026
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.