President Donald Trump was quickly evacuated from a gala dinner with the media after gunfire broke out at the Washington Hilton Hotel, forcing cabinet members to take shelter under tables, turning the grand ballroom into a crime scene.
Federal and local authorities said one person was immediately arrested. At a White House news conference Saturday night, Trump said he had spoken to a Secret Service officer who was shot and hit in his bulletproof vest at the scene, and that he is now “doing very well.”
"It's always shocking when something like this happens," Trump said, praising the quick response of law enforcement.
The president promised to reschedule the dinner soon, reflecting calmly and telling reporters that politics is a dangerous profession. “It’s part of the game,” Trump said. “I don’t want to let these sick people, these criminals, these horrible people change our way of life,” he said.
The US president said he initially thought the noise might have been from a tray falling, but it quickly became clear that it was a much more dangerous situation.
Amalia Cepero, a bartender, told the media that the suspected perpetrator “calmly approached,” threw off his jacket and then opened fire. “After he shot, it looked like he jumped towards the metal detectors,” she said.
Inside the room, the sudden noise caused attendees to drop to the ground. “Everyone started ducking,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.
Video of White House Correspondents Association evacuation via @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/e2r0JUIdpP
- Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 26, 2026
In a separate briefing, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said the suspect will be charged with assault with a weapon on a federal officer and use of a firearm during a violent crime. Pirro added that the man will appear in court on Monday and did not rule out terrorism charges as the investigation continues.
“This individual intended to cause as much damage and destruction as possible,” Pirro said.
Details about the shooting and the suspected perpetrator emerged piecemeal throughout the evening, as the president and various law enforcement officials briefed the public. Jeffery Carroll, the interim chief of the Washington police force, said the arrested suspect had “an assault rifle, a handgun and several knives” and had “attacked the checkpoint with a gun in his hand.”
Carroll described the suspect as a “lone perpetrator” with no apparent accomplices. He added that the person “was not hit by bullets” during the incident and declined to immediately release his identity, although Trump posted two photos of him on social media.
What is known about the person who fired the gun?
The man, identified by US media as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen, was arrested at the scene. Official confirmation has not yet been made public.
Law enforcement officials, who have not yet released the suspect's name, said he resides in Torrance, California, a coastal city in the South Bay region near Los Angeles, along Santa Monica Bay.
The Washington police chief said investigators believe the suspect was staying as a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the annual dinner was being held, although a motive has not yet been determined.
Facebook posts, apparently linked to Allen, show that he was named “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024 by the Torrance branch of C2 Education, a national private company that provides preparatory courses and tutoring for students aiming for college. 
A LinkedIn profile under the suspect's name describes him as "mechanical engineer and computer scientist by training, independent game developer by experience, teacher by nature."
According to federal campaign finance records, Allen had contributed $25 to a Democratic Party political committee supporting Kamala Harris for president in 2024.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Donald Trump said it was unlikely the shootings were related to the US-Israeli war against Iran. "It's not going to stop me from winning the war in Iran. I don't know if it had anything to do with that, I honestly don't think so, based on what we know," Trump told reporters.
Present at the dinner were not only the President and Vice President JD Vance, but also a large number of high-ranking officials in the power hierarchy, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Immediate reactions from Europe
European leaders reacted swiftly, condemning the political violence. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was “relieved” that Trump and those present were safe, adding: “Violence has no place in politics, ever.”
European Council President António Costa called the scenes "deeply disturbing" and praised the swift response of law enforcement.
EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas stressed that "political violence has no place in a democracy" and that an event intended to celebrate press freedom "should never turn into a scene of fear."
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his "shock", while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared: "Violence is never the solution."
French President Emmanuel Macron called the attack on the US president "unacceptable", while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed "full solidarity".
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed "concern" at the news of the attack.
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