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U.S. President Donald Trump was rushed from his seat at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night after a gunman charged a Secret Service checkpoint in the hotel lobby.
He fired a shotgun that struck an agent protected by a bulletproof vest, and was tackled and then taken into custody.
The suspect was identified as Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, as CBS News reported on Sunday that Allen told authorities that he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials.
Trump was seated on the main stage at approximately 8:15 p.m. ET alongside Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and cabinet members when, at approximately 8:35 p.m., loud popping sounds were heard from the lobby. "I thought it was a tray going down," Trump said later.
A sole gunman had rushed a Secret Service checkpoint in the hotel lobby armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.
Law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the individual. A uniformed Secret Service officer was struck in the vest, saved by body armor, and taken to the hospital, where he was later released.
The suspect was tackled, handcuffed, and taken to a hospital for evaluation.
He was not struck by gunfire.
Secret Service agents immediately surrounded Trump, rushed Vance from the stage seconds before Trump, and escorted cabinet members, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, out of the ballroom.
Some agents clambered over chairs and tables to reach protectees. Justice Department official Harmeet Dhillon said her head was bruised in the scramble.
The event was canceled. Around 10:30 p.m., Trump addressed the nation from the White House in a black tie alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Attendees had to show tickets to enter the hotel but faced no screening at the entrance.
Metal detectors were placed only at the entrance to the basement ballroom.
Washington, D.C., interim police chief Jeffrey Carroll said investigators were reviewing hotel-wide video to determine how the weapons entered the building.
A volunteer at the event, Helen Mabus, told the New York Post she saw the suspect assemble a "long" weapon in a lightly monitored area near a terrace-level entrance, partially out of view of security in a "makeshift room" used for storing bar carts.
"He grabbed it out of a bag or something. He put it together and ran towards the stairs to go down to the ballroom," she said, estimating she heard at least 10 shots. "It just seemed like he was shooting all over the place."
Multiple U.S. outlets identified the suspect as Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, confirmed by law enforcement.
Allen's LinkedIn profile described him as a "mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, and teacher by birth."
He graduated from Caltech in 2017 with a mechanical engineering degree and received a computer science master's from California State University-Dominguez Hills in 2025.
He worked part-time at C2 Education, a test-prep and tutoring company that named him "Teacher of the Month" in December 2024.
He donated $25 to Kamala Harris's presidential campaign in October 2024 and was registered with no party preference. He had no prior criminal record and was unknown to DC police.
CBS News reported Sunday, citing two sources, that Allen told law enforcement following his arrest that he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials.
He did not specify that Trump personally was the target.
No formal motive had been publicly confirmed by authorities.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Allen would be arraigned Monday in federal district court on two charges: using a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
Acting Attorney General Blanche said additional charges were expected.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents searched Allen's Torrance home early Sunday.
Trump said federal agents were "raiding" the property.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said, "Tonight, a coward attempted to create a national tragedy. He underestimated the protective capabilities of the United States Secret Service, and was stopped at first contact."
Trump said he "fought like hell to stay" but complied with Secret Service orders to leave.
He vowed to reschedule the dinner within 30 days. "We're going to do it again. We're not going to let anybody take over our society," he said.
He said the building was "not a particularly secure" venue and cited the incident as further justification for the White House ballroom under construction, describing it as "bulletproof glass" and "drone proof."
When asked if the shooting could be tied to the Iran war, Trump said, "I don't think so. But you never know. When you do things like that, you become a target. It's not going to deter me."
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