Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump was evacuated from the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday night after an armed man stormed the venue and opened fire.
The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, breached the lobby of the Washington Hilton hotel—where the high-profile journalists’ dinner was under way—armed with a gun and knives. He was rushing towards the ballroom when Secret Service agents overpowered and detained him.
Multiple senior US leaders were in attendance. The President was uninjured and quickly escorted to safety.
Chaos unfolded as guests dived under tables. Some attendees reported hearing gunfire outside the vast subterranean ballroom. According to The Associated Press, a law enforcement officer was struck in a bullet-resistant vest but is expected to survive.
Security footage released by Trump shows a man sprinting through metal detectors past officers, who draw their weapons and swarm towards him off-screen.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed that the suspect is preliminarily charged with two offences: using a firearm and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon. Additional charges are expected.
The dinner was subsequently cancelled. The investigation remains ongoing.
