Trump says shooting "would never have happened” in proposed White House ballroom
President Donald Trump once again made the case for the sprawling ballroom he is constructing at the White House, arguing the shooting at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner “would never have happened” with the planned security measures he intends for the ballroom to feature.
In the news conference following the shooting, Trump pushed for his project, saying, “This is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we’re planning at the White House … It’s actually a larger room, and it’s much more secure. It’s drone-proof. It’s bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom. That’s why Secret Service, that’s why the military are demanding it.”
The 90,000-square-foot ballroom that’s being built atop the former East Wing is necessary for hosting large state events, Trump has said.
Gunman bought his firearms legally in 2023 and 2025
The suspected gunman bought his two firearms legally in 2023 and 2025, a law enforcement official said Sunday.
The official also said the suspect was not on their radar before the shooting. As part of regular security protocol, all names in the hotel were run through government databases, the source said.
Security at last night's event "woefully insufficient," Rep. Mike Lawler says
The security at last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner was inadequate, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler told CNN’s Manu Raju this morning.
“Having attended a lot of events — and certainly having attended events with the president and cabinet — (security was) woefully insufficient when you’re talking about that many people getting into a room of that size,” Lawler said, when asked for his assessment of the measures in place at the Washington Hilton hotel.
Lawler praised the Secret Service and federal agents that helped secure the area, but said it “shouldn’t even have come to that.”
Lawler called for the full funding of the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down since mid-February, to help address potential threats.
Suspect "got off a couple shots," Blanche says
The suspected gunman at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner “got off a couple shots” but was “immediately subdued,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“From what we know from video surveillance and from witnesses who were there, (he) barely got past the perimeter,” Blanche said.
“He was immediately subdued, and, yes, he got off a couple shots,” Blanche said, adding the president spoke with the Secret Service agent who was hit in the chest while wearing a bulletproof vest.
Asked by CNN’s Dana Bash whether the incident marked a security failure, Blanche responded that he viewed it instead as a success story. “The goal is not expected to stop every single thing, it’s to create a very safe and very secure environment, which is what happened last night.”
“Make no mistake about it, the Secret Service did their jobs last night,” he said.
Suspect appeared to be targeting members of the administration, Blanche says
The suspect who tried to break through a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last night appeared to be targeting members of the Trump administration, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN’s “State of the Union” with Dana Bash on Sunday.
Blanche added that law enforcement executed a number of search warrants overnight, including on electronic devices. He said law enforcement had spoken to people who knew the suspect.
It appeared that the suspect traveled from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, DC, by train.
“I expect he’ll be charged tomorrow morning in federal court with two counts in a complaint. We are not viewing him as cooperating necessarily right now,” Blanche said, adding that there could be more charges against the suspect as law enforcement works to better understand the man’s motive.
A look back at other shootings in the vicinity of Trump
The target of last night’s shooting incident and motive of the suspect is currently unclear, but this is not the first time a person has been arrested for an attempted shooting in the vicinity of President Donald Trump.
- In July 2024, a gunman fired multiple shots at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, including one that the then-former president said skimmed his ear. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had climbed onto the rooftop of a commercial building roughly 150 yards to the north of the rally stage to carry out his attack, after which he was killed by the Secret Service, according to law enforcement officials. Trump was rushed off the stage to safety with blood on his face.
- Just over two months later, in September 2024, a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel sticking out of a fence at Trump’s Florida golf club. Trump had been playing golf at the time, a source briefed on the matter told CNN. After agents fired towards him, Ryan Routh, who was in the bushes, fled in a car and was detained after being stopped on the highway. Routh was sentenced to life in prison on several charges, including the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate.
CNN’s Jeremy Herb, Dakin Andone, Maureen Chowdhury, Randi Kaye and Holmes Lybrand contributed to this reporting.
Talks taking place about operational planning for King Charles' state visit, Buckingham Palace says
The UK and US will be having conversations today about security planning for King Charles’ planned state visit to the US this week, Buckingham Palace has said, following the shooting incident that took place in Washington, DC, last night.
A “number of discussions will be taking place throughout the day,” the spokesperson said, to work out “to what degree the events of Saturday evening may or may not impact on the operational planning for the visit.”
It is understood King Charles and Queen Camilla reached out privately to US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after last night’s incident.
Mayor of suspect's hometown condemns White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting
The mayor of Torrance, California, condemned the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night, saying the alleged gunman’s actions do not reflect the values of the Los Angeles suburb.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, has been identified by law enforcement as the armed man subdued near the dinner where President Trump and other officials had gathered, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN. The FBI traced Allen to a home in Torrance.
“Tonight, our community joins the nation in condemning the violent incident that occurred in Washington, D.C., during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner …,” Mayor George K. Chen said.
Chen called Allen’s connection to the city “deeply troubling” and said his alleged actions do not “define our city” or the values of its residents.
“Torrance is a community built on respect, diversity, hard work, and public safety,” Chen said.
Overnight into Sunday, FBI agents assembled outside a home linked to Allen in Torrance, and police tape was put up along part of the street.
“The City of Torrance stands firmly against political violence, extremism, and acts of hatred in any form,” Chen continued. “We reject attempts to sow fear or division, whether here at home or anywhere in our country … In moments like this, we are reminded that our shared values are stronger than the actions of any one person.”
World leaders react to shooting incident
World leaders condemned violence and voiced relief that the US president and guests at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner are safe after gunfire rang out at the venue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X that he and his wife “were shocked by the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump last night in Washington, DC.”
“We are relieved that the President and the First Lady are safe and strong,” he said. “We send our wishes for a full and speedy recovery to the wounded police officer and salute the US Secret Service for their swift and decisive action.”
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said on X, “We condemn the attempt of aggression against President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania.”
Echoing the sentiment, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said: “Political violence has no place in any democracy and my thoughts are with all those who have been shaken by this disturbing event.”
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed relief for Trump in their messages of support on X.
“Violence has no place in a democracy and must be unequivocally condemned,” Modi said.
Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, condemned the incident and expressed “his full rejection of all forms of violence by any party,” the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Ministry also condemned what it called a “deplorable crime.”
The target of Saturday’s incident at the dinner remains unclear.
CNN’s Ibrahim Dahman and Catherine Nicholls contributed to this reporting. This post has been updated with developments.
European leaders condemn news of shooting
European leaders are beginning to respond to the news that shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC, last night.
Take a look at some of their reactions below:
- French President Emmanuel Macron called the incident “unacceptable,” writing on X that “violence has no place in a democracy” and offering his “full support to Donald Trump.”
- António Costa, the President of the European Council, called last night’s events “deeply unsettling” and said on X that “political violence has no place in public life and must be firmly rejected.”
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he is “shocked” by the events of last night, adding that “any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.”
- Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, said “violence has no place in politics, ever,” thanking “the swift action of the police and responders for ensuring the safety of the guests.”
- European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that “an event meant to honor a free press should never become a scene of fear,” wishing a “swift recovery” to the injured Secret Service officer.
- Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he is “relieved” Trump and the other attendees are safe, offering his thoughts to “all those shaken by the event, including the Swedish journalists who attended the dinner.”
- Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Trump, said he was “troubled by the news” of last night, and offered his “thoughts and prayers” to the US president and first lady.
Leaders from other European countries, including Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Ireland, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Estonia, Albania, Latvia, Kosovo and Lithuania, also condemned last night’s events and expressed their relief that Trump and the other attendees of the dinner were unharmed.
In pictures: Officers at property connected with shooting suspect
FBI agents have been seen leaving the scene outside a home linked to suspected gunman Cole Allen in Torrance, which is a Los Angeles suburb.
A police perimeter was established and a large number of media and law enforcement, and onlookers gathered at the scene.
Here's how the incident unfolded yesterday
A suspect is currently in custody after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last night, where US President Donald Trump, members of his cabinet and guests were in attendance.
Here’s a timeline of how things unfolded at the event last night:
- 8:45 p.m. ET: CNN reports that Trump has been escorted off the stage by Secret Service, as Vice President JD Vance and some members of Trump’s Cabinet are also rushed out.
- 8:52 p.m. ET: We report that Trump is safe, according to a source familiar with what is going on.
- 9:00 p.m. ET: We report that several US Secret Service agents yelled, “shots fired” at the dinner, according to pool reports. One agent announced that a shooter was in custody over the radio, the pool said.
- 9:10 p.m. ET: A suspected gunman is what caused the cabinet to be evacuated and the scene locked down, we report.
- 9:11 p.m. ET: We report that an administration official says those in the cabinet who were attending the dinner are all okay.
- 9:15 p.m. ET: CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, who was attending the dinner, describes “hearing gunshots in the hall right near me” and seeing “a guy with a weapon” as police officers escorted him to safety.
- 9:17 p.m. ET: Trump posts to Truth Social that a “shooter” has been apprehended. We report that Trump wants to come back to the venue, but Secret Service does not want this, citing an administration official.
- 9:36 p.m. ET: Trump says law enforcement has asked him to leave the premises and he is returning to the White House. He also says that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner will be rescheduled.
- 9:39 p.m. ET: We report that one person is in custody after the shooting, according to the US Secret Service.
- 10:04 p.m. ET: We report that a US Secret Service agent was shot at the dinner, according to three people familiar with the matter.
- 10:33 p.m. ET: Trump gives a news conference from the White House, where he says “a man charged a security checkpoint, armed with multiple weapons” at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
- 11:16 p.m. ET: We report that the suspect has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from California, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
- 3:51 a.m. ET: We report that the Secret Service officer who was shot has been released from hospital, according to USSS Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi.
CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, Alayna Treene, Zachary Cohen, Logan Schiciano, Kristen Holmes, Riane Lumer, Haven Orecchio-Egresitz, Aditi Sangal, Hannah Rabinowitz, Zoe Sottile, Holmes Lybrand and Brian Todd contributed to this reporting.
What we know so far about gunman's attack on the White House Correspondents' Dinner
A suspected gunman is in custody after storming a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner –– forcing President Donald Trump, cabinet members and a ballroom full of guests to scramble to safety.
Authorities have identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, a California native, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN. The suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives and “exchanged fire” with law enforcement officers when he was intercepted and taken into custody, interim Washington, DC, Police Chief Jeffery Carroll told reporters.
A motive has not been determined, and the suspect is expected to be arraigned in court on Monday. He faces two charges: using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.
Here’s what we know so far about the attack:
- Carroll said the attacker appeared to be “a lone actor” and is believed to have stayed at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner took place. Police have secured the hotel room and are examining what’s inside.
- Overnight FBI agents assembled outside a home linked to Allen in Torrance, a Los Angeles suburb. Police tape was put up along part of the street and a spotlight was shone on the home.
- A Secret Service officer who was shot during the attack has been released from the hospital. The officer’s ballistic vest “helped us avoid a potential tragedy,” a Secret Service spokesperson said.
- Authorities said the suspect was not struck by gunfire but was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
- According to public records, the suspect worked as a teacher and video game developer in Southern California. He studied engineering and is a graduate of the California Institute of Technology, according to materials shared with CNN.
- Trump noted his security team was not aware of any threats prior to Saturday’s dinner.
- CNN’s Wolf Blitzer was outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton when he saw the gunman “clearly on the ground shooting” steps away from him. A police officer threw Blitzer to the ground after the assailant opened fire.
- The attack has been condemned by lawmakers in the US and leaders across the world –– many expressing relief over Trump’s safety and praising the swift law enforcement response.
Secret Service officer who was shot released from hospital, agency spokesperson says
A US Secret Service officer who was shot Saturday evening at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been released from the hospital, according to USSS Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi.
Guglielmi did not name the officer or the hospital where they were taken, but said the ballistic vest the agent was wearing “helped us avoid a potential tragedy.”
Earlier in the evening, President Donald Trump said he had spoken with the officer, telling reporters at the White House, “He has very high spirits, and we told him we love him and respect him. And he’s a very proud guy. He’s very proud of what he does.”
CNN previously reported a USSS officer was shot at the dinner, and the bullet struck the officer’s protective gear.
Journalists at White House Correspondents' Dinner jumped in to report from inside ballroom
As soon as they witnessed the Secret Service rush President Donald Trump off stage, journalists at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner did exactly as you’d expect and started to live-stream, broadcast and report.
Information was scarce inside the Hilton ballroom for the first few minutes, but reporters pieced together details about the shooting suspect from sources via calls and texts to sources on the outside.
White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang said to the crowd later, “I saw all of you reporting, and that’s what we do. Thank God everybody’s safe, and thank you for coming together tonight.”
Trump later thanked Jiang for her work during a hastily assembled news conference at the White House.
CNN CEO Mark Thompson acknowledged the “difficult and uncertain circumstances” in a memo to staffers who attended the dinner. He credited anchor Wolf Blitzer, “who was in close proximity when the incident occurred and – this is Wolf we’re talking about – started reporting on it as soon as he could.”
Blitzer’s eyewitness account on live TV immediately confirmed that shots had been fired outside the ballroom.
“When the commotion started, the room seemed momentarily upside down,” CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss and President Tom Cibrowski wrote in a late-night memo to staff. “But instantly our journalists took out their phones, ran toward the chaos, started filming, started calling, trying to document and make sense of what we just saw.”
Gunman attempted to create "national tragedy," Secret Service deputy director says
The suspected gunman at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner “attempted to create a national tragedy,” US Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said in a statement.
“The strength of our layered security was evident, with a myriad of countermeasures still ahead,” Quinn added.
One Secret Service agent was shot but is expected to survive, three people familiar told CNN. No one else was injured, according to authorites.
"We're all in this together," Trump's deputy chief of staff says
Dan Scavino, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, said Saturday’s attack brings back “a lot of terrible memories” of the attempted assassination against the president during a 2024 campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
“Never thought I’d be hitting the ground again after Butler, Pennsylvania, as a result of shots being fired,” Scavino said on X.
“Brings back a lot of terrible memories—I am so thankful that everyone in attendance tonight is okay. We’re all in this together, stay strong!”
Witnesses recount terrifying moments of the attack
As a major event in the political journalistic calendar, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner counts among its guests multiple CNN anchors and reporters.
They and other eyewitnesses have recalled how they scrambled for safety as chaos unfolded during the attack on the gala Saturday night.
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer recounted a police officer instantly threw him to the ground after he saw the assailant “clearly on the ground shooting” in a hall just a few feet away from him.
“And then they grabbed me, the police officers, and they take me back into the men’s room, where it was safe, and there were about 15 other men who are stuck in there, and they won’t let them out,” he said.
CNN’s Jake Tapper, who was inside the ballroom, said he witnessed Secret Service agents running down an aisle, though he did not hearing the bangs.
“People were jumping under tables and people were very upset and worried,” he said.
Another man told CNN’s Brianna Keilar, who was also at the event, that glass started to shatter and rain down from above as multiple gunshots rang out, when he was heading upstairs after leaving the ballroom.
US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, also an attendee, described the tense atmosphere when the whole ballroom “went silent.”
“When I lifted my head and when I looked up, every law enforcement officer was out there, as we all had our heads down, thousands of them,” she said.
A video captured President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump conversing with American mentalist Oz Pearlman moments before the shooting.
As Pearlman spoke with the Trumps, everyone suddenly reacted to a loud noise and looks of shock were visible on Melania and Pearlman’s faces, before security rushed the president off the stage, the clip showed.
The attack was a “traumatic experience” for his wife, Trump later said at a press conference.
Watch: suspected gunman on the ground, shirtless, surrounded by agents
Video from the Washington Hilton shows the suspected gunman lying facedown on the ground, shirtless and in handcuffs, surrounded by agents following the attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night.
FBI agents at Los Angeles home linked to suspected gunman
FBI agents have assembled outside a home in Torrance, a Los Angeles suburb, linked to suspected gunman Cole Allen.
CNN saw agents near the house a short time ago. A police perimeter has been established at the scene, where a large number of media and law enforcement have gathered.
A next-door neighbor, who did not wish to be identified, told CNN he was not sure if Allen lived at the property. They said they did not see him often, but he was there “a couple of days ago.” The neighbor said the suspected gunman’s father is friendly and chatty, adding that they spoke frequently.
