Shots Fired at Washington Hilton: Trump Evacuated from Correspondents’ Dinner, Suspect in Custody

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night after a lone gunman armed with multiple weapons opened fire outside the ballroom — an attack the president later described as an attempted assassination.

The incident occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. when 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, charged through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton, the same hotel where President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.

“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 told a press conference at the White House following the attack.

Secret Service agents instantly executed emergency protocols, quickly forming a protective human shield around the president and pushing him off the stage. The protective detail carried out its drill with textbook precision, physically placing their bodies between the gunfire and their protectee. They then rushed the president and first lady to a secure area within the hotel.

Guests at the black-tie event dove under tables as panic swept through the ballroom. Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also evacuated and are safe.

A Secret Service uniformed division officer was struck at close range but was saved by his bulletproof vest. He was taken to a local hospital and is expected to fully recover.

Trump said he initially mistook the shots for a dropped tray. “I first thought the noise was a tray being dropped before I realized it was gunfire,” he said.

Allen was subdued at the scene and taken into custody. He has been charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon; additional charges may be filed. Authorities said he appeared to have been a guest at the hotel and was the sole attacker.

The FBI is leading the investigation, with agents searching Allen’s Torrance residence and examining potential motives. Asked whether he believed he was the target, Trump replied: “I guess.”

The attack marks the third time the president has faced an assassination attempt since 2024.

Originally scheduled to speak at the gala — his first-ever appearance at the event as president — Trump vowed to reschedule within 30 days. Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said the suspect had “underestimated the protective capabilities” of the agency and “was stopped at first contact.”