Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
- A suspect is facing at least three charges after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
- President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were evacuated and are safe.
- Guests needed a screenshot of an invitation to gain access to the premises and the building.
A suspect is facing at least three charges after shots were fired at Saturday night's annual White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, DC.
The president, first lady, and all Secret Service protectees were safe following the incident, the Secret Service said.
A security video of the incident, posted by Trump on Truth Social, showed an individual running past security officers outside the main doors of the event. Officers in the video could be seen trying to grab the man, then drawing their weapons and pointing their guns at him.
In a press conference following the incident, Trump said a Secret Service agent was shot in his bulletproof vest and said that "he's in great shape."
What we know about the suspect
Citing authorities, multiple media outlets have reported that the suspect is 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California. Authorities have not publicly commented on the suspect's identity.
Jeffrey Carroll, the interim chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, said in a press conference following the president's remarks that the suspect was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives when he tried to bypass a security checkpoint at the event.
The suspect was not struck by gunfire and was transported to a hospital for evaluation, Carroll said.
In remarks after the incident, Trump described the suspect as a "sick person" who had been "totally subdued and under control."
In a Truth Social post shared at 3:30 a.m. EST, Trump posted an image of a shirtless man lying face down, hands behind his back, surrounded by law enforcement officers.
Inside the room when the shooting occurred
The incident occurred after 8:30 p.m., shortly after Trump had appeared for the first time as US president at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and taken his seat.
There was suddenly shouting in front of the stage, according to Tim Röhn, the senior editor of the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, who attended the event. Business Insider is part of the network.
Tim Röhn
Röhn reported that pushing and chaos broke out, people started running, guests threw themselves to the floor, and hid under tables. From behind the curtains onstage, heavily armed officers emerged and pointed their rifles at the crowd.
Guests needed a screenshot of an invitation to gain access to the premises and the building, Röhn reported. Photo ID wasn't required. Inside, Secret Service agents patrolled in some areas with dogs, and there was an airport-style security checkpoint in front of the ballroom. Jackets did not need to be removed for security checks.
CBS senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, the president of the White House Correspondents' Association, said law enforcement had requested that everyone leave the premises "consistent with protocol," and that Trump "insists" the event be rescheduled within 30 days.
Röhn reported that, following Jiang's remarks, attendees started leaving the venue.
Suspect to be arraigned on Monday
"Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post after the incident.
Jeanine Pirro, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, said at the press conference that the defendant has been charged with two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of assault on a law enforcement officer using a dangerous weapon.
She said her office would consider terrorism charges if the investigation revealed evidence sufficient to sustain them.
The suspect will be arraigned on Monday, Pirro said.
Trump, when responding to reporters' questions during his press conference, advocated for the man to be sentenced to life in prison.
Kash Patel, the FBI director, said investigations are ongoing as law enforcement seeks to determine the motive and if the man arrested was a lone wolf actor.
'Praying for our country tonight'
Until the start of the event, it was unclear when Trump would appear and how long he would stay.
Though Trump appeared as a private citizen and media personality in 2011 and 2015, he boycotted the White House Correspondents' Dinner during his first term.
The Washington Hilton hotel, long the site of the annual dinner, is where President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded in a 1981 assassination attempt, just steps outside the hotel after addressing a labor gathering.
Trump was the target of two assassination attempts during his 2024 campaign, including a shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, that left him injured, and a separate incident at one of his Florida golf courses in which a suspect was apprehended and later sentenced to life in prison.
Both Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, the first and second in line to the presidency, attended Saturday's event.
In a post on X, Johnson wrote that he and his wife were "thankful no innocent people were harmed and everyone is now safe."
"We're grateful as always for the law enforcement and first responders who acted so quickly to bring the situation under control," Johnson wrote. "Praying for our country tonight."
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.