President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are both safe following a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington D.C..
The president, the first lady, pregnant White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and other officials were rushed out of the ballroom at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington D.C. when gunfire erupted on Saturday, April 25.
A Secret Service agent was shot during the crossfire and transported to a local hospital for treatment. Washington D.C. law enforcement officials confirmed that a 31-year-old California resident was in custody and facing multiple charges after rushing a security checkpoint.
During a White House press conference, Donald said he owed a “debt of gratitude to the courage of law enforcement” at the Washington Hilton for their quick response.
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“That was very unexpected but incredibly acted upon by the Secret Service and law enforcement and this was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to and in a certain way it did … because the fact that they just unified us — a room that was totally unified,” Trump told reporters.
The Washington Hilton is the same venue where President Ronald Reagan and three law enforcement officials were shot on March 31, 1981, by John Hinckley Jr. (Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was kept in a mental health facility for three decades.)
Keep scrolling for more information about what occurred at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
What Happened at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner?
While the investigation is ongoing, as of publication, the Secret Service has confirmed that gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and agents near the “main magnetometer” at the Washington Hilton.
The president, first lady and other administration officials — including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance — were all evacuated by the Secret Service.
The White House posted footage purportedly showing the suspect rushing right past Secret Service agents at the hotel. The clip concluded with the shirtless suspect in handcuffs, with his face pressed against the ground, after being apprehended.
“A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of Secret Service,” the president confirmed.
Who Is the Suspected Shooter?
Washington D.C. law enforcement officials confirmed that a 31-year-old California native was taken into custody following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The suspect has been charged with two counts of using a firearm and one count of assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
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Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said during a press conference on April 25 that more charges will likely be filed as the investigation takes shape.
In his own White House press briefing, Donald referred to the suspect as “a very sick person.”
It was later revealed that the suspected shooter was identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, an engineer and part-time teacher from Torrance, California. He was allegedly armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives, according to authorities.
Was Anyone Injured in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner?
The president confirmed that a Secret Service agent was shot during the altercation. Per the Secret Service, the bullet struck the agent’s bulletproof vest and he was transported to the hospital for treatment.
“[He was] saved by the fact that he was wearing, obviously, a very good bulletproof vest. The vest did the job,” Donald told reporters. “I just spoke to the officer and he was doing great, he’s in great shape, in very high spirits and I told him we love him and respect him and he’s a very proud guy, he’s very proud of what he does, the Secret Service agent.”
Did the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Continue After the Shooting?
The president initially broke his silence in a statement via Truth Social, where he expressed his desire for the dinner to continue.
“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely,” Donald wrote. “The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we ‘LET THE SHOW GO ON’ but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement. They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again.”
White House Correspondents’ President Weijia Jiang spoke inside the ballroom a short time later to confirm that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days at Donald’s behest.
“Law enforcement has requested that we leave the premises. … [The president] wanted to emphasize that nobody was hurt. The cabinet and the first lady, everybody’s safe,” she explained. “I said earlier tonight that journalism is a public service because when there is an emergency we run toward the crisis, not away from it.”
Jiang went on, “I saw all of you reporting and that’s what we do. Thank God everybody is safe and thank you for coming together tonight.”
What Did Donald Trump Say About the WHCD Shooting?
Donald spoke to reporters late Saturday at the White House, where he said he was “honored” to be a target after multiple attempts on his life in recent years. (The president survived being shot in the ear at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. A separate suspected shooter was arrested at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September 2024.)
“When you look at our great presidents, [this] doesn’t happen to people who don’t do anything,” he told the media.
Donald also shared how his wife Melania responded to the sudden outbreak of violence at a star-studded Washington D.C. gala.
“I want to thank the first lady, that was a rather traumatic experience for her,” he said.
Later in his briefing, Donald elaborated, “The fact, we were sitting right next to each other, first lady on my right, and I heard a noise … I thought it was a tray going down and it was a pretty loud noise and it was from quite far away. [The suspect] hadn’t reached the area at all. They really got him … but it was a gun.”
“Some people really understood that very quickly, other people didn’t … I was watching what happened,” the president went on. “Melania was very cognizant of what happened. I think she knew immediately what happened. She was saying, ‘That’s a bad noise.’ And we were whisked away. It was very quick … it was a matter of seconds that we were out the door.”
Did the Suspected Shooter Have a Manifesto?
NBC News reported that Allen left a letter for his family before he allegedly opened fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Allen allegedly experienced “rage thinking about everything this administration has done” per the alleged letter. He allegedly was targeting “administration officials” at the event, claiming that as a U.S. citizen he can no longer be represented by an alleged “rapist” and “pedophile,” seemingly referring to President Donald Trump’s alleged relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
WHCD Shooting Suspect Pleads Not Guilty to Assassination Attempt
Allen attended a preliminary hearing in Washington, D.C., on May 11, 2026, where he pleaded not guilty to four federal crimes, according to NBC News. He wore an orange shirt and trousers, as well as handcuffs attached to a chain around his waist.
During a previous hearing on May 4, public defender Eugene Ohm alleged that Allen was being held alone for up to 23 hours a day in a padded cell and stripped of basic privileges, including visits and phone calls.
“I’m obviously very concerned about how we’ve gotten here,” United States Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui said in court at the time. “He’s been treated completely differently than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Addressing Allen directly, Faruqui added, “I am very troubled by what they indicate the conditions that you have been subjected to. I’m sorry. It sounds like things have not been the way they’re supposed to. … My concern remains if this is what’s happening in this case, what’s happening in every other case.”
