Shooting Disrupts White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump Evacuated
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night following a shooting incident.
According to officials, the attacker fired at a Secret Service agent, who was protected by a bulletproof vest. The suspect was detained at the scene and acted alone, Trump said, adding that the incident “will not deter him from winning the war in Iran”.
The shooting occurred during a security check before guests entered the event. Panic broke out after the gunfire, with attendees taking cover as security personnel evacuated the president and other officials. The dinner, attended by about 2,600 guests including cabinet members, was subsequently cancelled.
US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said the suspect, who remains in custody, is expected to face charges including use of a firearm during a violent crime and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.
Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, a suburb of Los Angeles, according to CNN.
Washington police chief Jeffrey Carroll said the attacker was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. Witnesses cited by the New York Post said the suspect emerged from a makeshift room near the entrance, where security was reportedly limited. One volunteer at the event said the weapon “was long” and “didn’t look like a typical gun”.
Authorities are also investigating reports that Allen may have been a guest at the Hilton hotel where the dinner was held.
Trump later praised the response of security forces, saying the attacker had been quickly neutralized. Federal authorities also carried out a search of the suspect’s home in California.