A man with multiple weapons stormed a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night and was later “removed” by U.S. Secret Service agents, President Donald Trump announced hours after the event was evacuated.
President Trump told reporters in the White House briefing room that one police officer was shot, but “obviously he was saved by the fact that he was wearing a very good body armor.”
“I spoke with the police officer and everything is going well,” Trump said.
A former senior law enforcement official briefed on the matter told MS NOW that the suspect in the shooting was identified late Saturday as Cole Allen, of Torrance, California. The suspect is 31 years old, The Associated Press reported, citing two law enforcement officials.
A photo of the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, posted on President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account on April 25, 2026.
@realdonaldtrump |Society of Truth
Seconds after gunshots rang out and attendees jumped under tables in the Washington Hilton ballroom, President Trump rushed off the stage.
He said he “fought like hell” to remain at the dinner, where he was scheduled to speak for the first time as president, but law enforcement was asked by him and other government officials to leave the venue.
Prior to the press, President Trump released photos of the suspect being apprehended and security footage of the incident on his Truth Social account.
First lady Melania Trump and all other members of the administration were in “perfect health,” the president wrote in a separate post after leaving.
“We are in discussions with all representatives responsible for the event and will be rescheduling it within 30 days,” he added.
At the White House, President Trump praised the swift actions of the Secret Service and law enforcement.
“This was an event dedicated to free speech and was intended to bring together members of the press and members of the media from both parties,” President Trump said. “And in a way, it is. Because the fact that they just unified, I saw a completely unified room. In a way, it was so beautiful.”
On April 25, 2026, US President Donald Trump is escorted out after a gunman opens fire at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, DC. Screen capture of this video.
Bo Erickson | Reuters
A person who attended the event and was briefed by the Secret Service after the shooting told CNBC’s Eamon Javers that a man with a shotgun approached a metal detector and was shot and killed by Secret Service agents.
He was then taken away in handcuffs, officials said.
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a press conference at the White House in response to the shooting incident during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Key details about the incident remain unknown. Washington Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a separate news conference late Saturday night that the suspect would be arraigned on Monday.
At least five gunshots were heard around 8:35 p.m.The gunshots rang out from the back of the banquet hall, minutes after White House Correspondents Association President Weijia Jiang gave a speech, as attendees were eating their first courses.
Mr. Trump, who was seated next to the first lady on a stage at the front of the ballroom, was immediately surrounded by U.S. secret agents, with many attendees hiding under tables.
Video of the event shows armed guards with tactical gear and large rifles appearing on the stage and then removing the president from the stage seconds later.
On April 25, 2026, President Trump is evacuated from the stage by the Secret Service after multiple gunshots are heard at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC.
The event was attended by many other Trump administration officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
At the White House, President Trump was asked if he thought he was a target of the suspect, and he said, “I do.” He said information about the shooting suspect’s motive would emerge in the coming days.
“You know he’s in custody and they’re asking him a lot of questions,” Trump said.
Trump survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024. A few months later, a man attempted to assassinate Trump while he was golfing at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
—CNBC’s Eamon Javers and Megan Cassella contributed to this report.
