President Trump was hastily evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night after a suspected gunman tried to breach security and was shot by Secret Service, federal law enforcement officials tell Axios.
Driving the news: A suspect fired at Secret Service personnel at the event at the Washington Hilton hotel and is now in custody, a law enforcement source tells Axios.
- "Shot was fired at Secret Service, but they are OK. Hit in protective equipment," the official said.
- A federal law enforcement source identified the shooter as Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California.
- Trump was not in immediate danger of being shot because the gunman was apprehended in the hotel lobby before he got to the magnetometers, a second source briefed by the FBI on the incident said.
- After the shooting, some attendees noted the magnetometers were immediately outside the ballroom, not at the hotel entrance, allowing the alleged gunman to get closer than usual.
State of play: Armed agents fanned out across the ballroom to secure the safety of administration officials.
- After Trump was evacuated, armed Secret Service agents stood on the dais looking out into the crowd with their guns drawn but pointed down.
- Also evacuated along with Trump were Vice President Vance and first lady Melania Trump. Several Cabinet secretaries were also in the room.
- Guests at the dinner immediately dove to the ground and hid under their tables when the commotion began.
What they're saying: "We heard a loud noise, saw Secret Service rush in, obviously pure chaos in the room very quickly," said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.).
- "They moved to get the president and members of the Cabinet, understandably," he added.
- Lawler said the Secret Service yelled "shots fired," though there has been no confirmation at this time of gunfire.
Zoom in: Trump used his Truth Social feed to post evidence of the alleged crime.
- He posted grainy black-and-white security footage showing the alleged suspect charging through a security checkpoint with a long gun as police reacted and fired upon him.
- He also shared a close-up photo of the alleged suspect on the floor after he had been captured.
The suspect was armed "with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives," interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said in a press conference with D.C. officials.
Between the lines: If Trump was the suspected shooter's target, it would mark the fifth known effort to assassinate him.
- At a 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a suspect fired at Trump and the bullet nicked his ear. Three attendees were shot.
- Months later, another suspected gunman lay in wait to shoot Trump while he was playing at his Florida golf course. The suspect was found guilty last year.
- Also in 2024, officials said they uncovered an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump on the campaign trail.
- And in 2018, a North Dakota man pleaded guilty to planning to use a stolen forklift to flip the presidential limousine while Trump was inside en route to an event.
What's next: WHCA chair Weijia Jiang initially said the event would hopefully resume soon, but later announced the dinner was canceled at the request of law enforcement.
- Trump "insists that we will reschedule this event in the next 30 days," she said.
Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and has been updated with additional information throughout.
