Audio By Vocalize
A screen grab taken from a video filmed by an AFP reporter shows an armed agent climbing over chairs as they move to the stage after loud bangs were heard during the White House Correspondents' dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2026. [AFP]
A gunman armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives stormed a security checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday, exchanging fire with Secret Service agents and forcing President Donald Trump and dozens of senior officials to evacuate the event.
The suspect, identified by federal authorities as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was tackled and subdued at the Washington Hilton, where roughly 2,600 guests had gathered for the annual press gala. No attendees were seriously injured.
Allen faces at least one count each of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced Saturday night. The Department of Justice said Sunday that preliminary findings suggest Trump was the intended target. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen appeared to be a lone gunman who travelled by train from Los Angeles to Washington, and checked into the hotel the day before the event. A social media account believed to belong to Allen included recent posts critical of Trump and his administration's policies, the U.S. war with Iran and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
