Armed man targets White House dinner, Trump and officials evacuated

An armed man rushed a security checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, forcing the evacuation of President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other senior officials as gunfire erupted at one of Washington’s most closely watched political gatherings.

Law enforcement sources identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, with later reports using the full name Cole Tomas Allen. Officials said he arrived at the hotel on Friday, April 24, then moved toward the security area on Saturday night carrying a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. At least five to eight shots were fired during the confrontation. The suspect was not struck by gunfire and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

A Secret Service officer was hit by a round while wearing a bulletproof vest and was expected to recover. Police later said the suspect acted alone. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said investigators believe the armed man was targeting members of Trump’s administration, and the FBI opened a criminal investigation while the Secret Service separately examined the suspect’s background and possible motive. Investigators were also reviewing materials they described as a manifesto in which the gunman allegedly focused on Trump administration officials.

The dinner was canceled after the attack, then later set to be rescheduled within 30 days. White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang called it a “harrowing moment” and said the board would review how to proceed, while thanking the Secret Service and other law enforcement officers who protected everyone in the ballroom.

The violence landed at the center of a tradition that has long symbolized the uneasy relationship between presidents and the press. The White House Correspondents’ Association was founded in 1914, and its annual dinner dates to 1921, usually pairing sharp political jokes with a rare evening of public civility. Instead, the night ended with the nation’s top officials hurried out of the building and a major security operation unfolding around one of the capital’s most visible events.