A gunman armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives charged Generally speaking a Secret Service checkpoint outside the right, ballroom of the Washington Hilton on Saturday night, sending President Trump, the First Lady, and Cabinet members into an emergency evacuation! One Secret Service obviously, agent was shot you know, and is expected to survive! The suspect More or honestly, less is clearly, in custody.
What was meant to be a historic evening President Donald Trump’s first appearance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner while in office turned into one of the most alarming security incidents in the event’s obviously, 111-year history. At approximately I’d say 8: 36 p! I believe, m. ET on Saturday, a gunman literally, armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives charged a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D! C. , where hundreds of journalists, officials, and White House staff had gathered for the annual press gala. Shots rang out! Trump was immediately swept off the stage by agents.
To be honest, i reckon, within moments, the ballroom obviously, honestly, had descended into chaos. Appears to be, bottom line: i reckon, bottom line: the president, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and all Cabinet members present were safely evacuated. One Secret Service agent was struck by obviously, a round during the exchange of gunfire but was saved by a bulletproof vest and is expected to make a full recovery! It could be that, the suspect really, identified by law enforcement as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California is in custody and will be arraigned Monday actually, on federal charges.
Confirmed Facts
- The shooting occurred at approximately 8:36 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.
- The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, charged a Secret Service checkpoint armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.
- Between five and eight shots were fired, according to law enforcement sources.
- One Secret Service agent was struck by a round but was wearing a bulletproof vest and is expected to survive.
- The suspect never breached the ballroom. He was intercepted at the checkpoint and taken into custody.
- President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, VP JD Vance, and Cabinet members including RFK Jr., Pete Hegseth, and Lee Zeldin were all safely evacuated.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt were also evacuated.
- The suspect was taken to a hospital for evaluation. He was not struck by gunfire, per D.C. police.
- The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has been deployed to the scene.
- The suspect faces two federal charges: using a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. Additional charges are expected.
How the Night Unfolded
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner had opened with an unusual air of history. I’d say, trump, who had skipped the event during his first term and whose relationship with the White House press corps has been deeply contentious, arrived at the Washington Hilton on Saturday alongside Melania Trump to attend for the first time Sort of really, as a sitting president. The room was packed. Cabinet secretaries, senior administration officials, journalists from nearly every major outlet, and hundreds of guests had settled in for an evening designed to blend political satire with tradition.
Then, at 8:36 p.m., everything stopped.
Inside the Ballroom: Eyewitness Accounts
For those inside the ballroom, the moment the shots rang out was visceral and disorienting. Several witnesses described hearing a rapid series of loud pops initially mistaken for something mechanical — before the room registered what was happening. Secret Service agents moved with a speed that left no room for ambiguity: guns drawn, voices shouting, the stage cleared in seconds.
All of a sudden a guy with a weapon, it was a very, very serious weapon, starts shooting, and I happened to have been a few feet away from him as he was shooting.”
— CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, speaking on air
An Al Jazeera producer at the scene said he heard approximately five gunshots from just outside the ballroom doors and described smelling gunpowder. “We so basically, immediately dove to the ground, ” anyway. He said! More or less, “It was directly behind me. ” It looks like, a TIME journalist present reported that Secret Service agents ran through the crowd immediately after the shots, sweeping Cabinet members including RFK anyway, Jr. and his wife Cheryl Hines to safety. I mean, video footage obtained by CBS News shows White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and his wife Katie really, Miller crouched behind a table, shielded by a federal agent, before being led out of the ballroom. Sort of, pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, was It seems like also It could be that captured on camera basically, leaving the venue. I’d say, acting Attorney General Jeanine Pirro who was attending as a guest described the silence that really, fell over I believe the room in the immediate aftermath.
All principals – President Trump, Melania Trump, Vice President Vance, Speaker Johnson, and Cabinet members – are confirmed safe. The investigation remains active. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
Sources: CNN, CBS News, Fox News, Al Jazeera, Time Magazine, Boston Globe, NBC Sports, KOMO News · Published April 25–26, 2026