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Dramatic scenes as Trump rushed from White House gala

Dramatic scenes as Trump rushed from White House gala
By Zaid Sabah and Zsombor Peter
Published On 26 Apr 2026

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26 Apr 2026 - 06:20
 (06:20 GMT)

Thank you for joining us

You can read our comprehensive story on the shooting here.

For more on our US coverage, go here.

26 Apr 2026 - 06:15
 (06:15 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a recap of the night’s events:

  • Police have arrested the gunman who tried to storm the White House correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel attended by Trump and members of his cabinet.
  • US media have identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California.
  • A US attorney says the suspect will be charged with two counts of “using a firearm during a crime of violence” and for “assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon”. He will be arraigned in a federal court on Monday.
  • Trump says the suspect was heavily armed and appeared to be acting alone.
  • He also says he may have been the target of the security incident, and officials are working on finding the motive.
26 Apr 2026 - 06:00
 (06:00 GMT)

All eyes will now be on whether there was enough security in place

By Richard Gaisford

Reporting from Washington, DC, US

We can see from the footage of the incident that there was a scramble by the shooter to get towards that ballroom.

And at some point during that, an officer was shot. It’s understood that the officer was wearing a protective vest and was shot in the vest.

He’s stable and has been talking to people, including the president.

All eyes will now be on whether there was enough security in place and whether the gunman was able to get far too close for comfort to the president himself.

Now the Secret Service is saying that this actually shows that the security ring that was put up around did work, as they were able to stop him from getting into the room, where, of course, there were all of these high-profile people, including the president.

But on the back of what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024, serious questions are going to be asked.

Remember, this isn’t the first time that someone has tried to kill the president if that was the main aim of this evening’s attack. The man is being held, and we’re told, will be asked these questions. And certainly, we’ll get a clearer picture of the intent and more details of what happened tomorrow.

26 Apr 2026 - 05:50
 (05:50 GMT)

‘I dove to the floor with a lot of other people’

By Chris Sheridan

Reporting from Wahington, DC, US

They had just introduced the president and the first lady as part of the White House delegation, as well as the Board of the White House Correspondents’ Association. Everyone essentially sat down to start dinner. It was the first course and we were socializing, and then suddenly I heard about five shots, loud booms from behind where I was sitting, outside of the ballroom, but in the hotel.

Obviously, there was a lot of shock and I was stunned. I didn’t know what was going on, but then I suddenly realized it was gunshots, I dove to the floor with a lot of other people.

We were down there for about 10 minutes, unsure what was going on. It appeared to have stopped quickly because there were no gunshots after that.

There was a protest outside before, so the police had already cordoned off part of the street.

Any time the president comes to any building, there’s a heavy security presence, but all you need to get into the hotel was a ticket, and the ballroom is actually on the lower level of the hotel itself, and to get down there, you needed to show your ticket.

There was airport-level security around the ballroom…so it’s not clear where he [the suspect] was obviously, but we will find out.

It was possible to get down there with simply a ticket.

26 Apr 2026 - 05:40
 (05:40 GMT)
Explainer

History of assassination attempts on Trump

President Donald Trump has faced numerous assassination attempts and death threats throughout his years as president and as a candidate.

The closest call came in July 2024, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman accessed a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to then-candidate Trump as he spoke on stage. A bystander was killed, and Trump’s ear was wounded in the attack. Agents shot dead the suspect, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, at the scene.

A few months later, in September, an armed man hid near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course in Florida with the intent to kill him, according to officials.

Prosecutors said Ryan Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as he played golf. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before he was able to open fire on Trump, and he was soon arrested nearby.

Routh was found guilty last year of attempting to kill the president and was sentenced to life in prison in February.

Also, in February, a 21-year-old man, Austin Tucker Martin, was shot dead after entering Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida with a shotgun, but the President was not there.

26 Apr 2026 - 05:30
 (05:30 GMT)

Trump says shooting likely unrelated to war on Iran

We can now bring you more from Trump’s press conference earlier, when he said it was unlikely that the shooting was linked to the war on Iran.

“It’s not going to deter me from winning the war in Iran. I don’t know if that had anything to do with it, I really don’t think so, based on what we know,” Trump told reporters.

However, earlier, he said “you never know” if it could be linked to the war, and said investigators were working on the motive for the shooting.

26 Apr 2026 - 05:15
 (05:15 GMT)
Explainer

Who is Cole Tomas Allen?

By Richard Gaisford

Reporting from Washington, DC, US

The authorities here in Washington, DC, have not released the name of the man they currently have in custody, but he has been identified in various news reports.

It appears this was gleaned from the information he gave when he checked in to the Washington Hilton before this event. He had a room at the hotel and was named Cole Tomas Allen from a place called Torrance in California. He is 31 years old.

We saw that video of him rushing that police line, in effect, to try and get into the ballroom, where, of course, Donald Trump sat close to his wife, Melania, and other members of the cabinet and all of the members of the press who were gathered for the White House correspondents’ dinner there.

In some of the pictures, he’s almost half-naked. It appears that he would have been stripped to make sure that he wasn’t carrying any form of explosive device.

And we saw the president, standing in the White House, very late this evening, describing this man as sick. He said he looked evil, something of a whack job. He said, “I don’t like to let these sick people, these thugs, these horrible, horrible people change the fabric of our lives, change the course of what we do.”

26 Apr 2026 - 05:05
 (05:05 GMT)
Houthi

US media identify suspected gunman

The New York Times and the CBS News broadcaster have identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen.

They cited several anonymous sources.

26 Apr 2026 - 05:00
 (05:00 GMT)

Mike Johnson, Lindsey Graham express relief that all attendees safe

The Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, was at the event with his wife, and says he is thankful that all attendees are now safe.

“We’re grateful as always for the law enforcement and first responders who acted so quickly to bring the situation under control. Praying for our country tonight,” he said.

Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican senator, also expressed his relief that the president, first lady, vice president and attendees were all safe, and spoke of the rising political tensions in America.

“The only thing I’m certain of is that the times in which we live are creating a stream of threats that are unprecedented against President Trump and other government officials,” he said.

“To the brave law enforcement officers who were there to protect, well done. To the American people, let’s all pray for calmer waters and try to be part of the solution, not the problem,” he added.

26 Apr 2026 - 04:50
 (04:50 GMT)

New York City mayor condemns ‘unacceptable’ political violence

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has joined the chorus of officials reacting to the security breach at the Washington Hilton, taking to X to denounce the incident and express relief that those in attendance were unharmed.

“Political violence is absolutely unacceptable,” Mamdani wrote. “I am glad the President and guests at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner are safe.”

26 Apr 2026 - 04:40
 (04:40 GMT)
Explainer

What we know about the shooting at White House correspondents’ dinner

  • Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance were rushed out from the White House correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton following a shooting incident.
  • The president, the first lady, and members of Trump’s Cabinet were unharmed.
  • Officials say the suspect – who was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives – rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at the hotel at about 8:36pm local time on Saturday (00:36 GMT, Sunday).
  • The suspect traded gunfire with a law enforcement officer, who was hit in his bulletproof vest and is now receiving treatment at a local hospital.
  • The suspect was not struck by gunfire, but is also currently in hospital for evaluation.
  • Officials say the suspect was from California and believe that he acted alone.
  • The suspect will be charged with two counts of “using a firearm during a crime of violence” and for “assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon”. He will be arraigned in a federal court on Monday.
26 Apr 2026 - 04:30
 (04:30 GMT)

Washington Hilton was site of assassination attempt on Reagan in 1981

The hotel at which the shooting occurred this evening is also known as the Reagan Hotel.

It earned that nickname after John Hinckley Jr’s attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan there in 1981. That event is perhaps what the hotel is most famous for, and not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which is also held there every year.

Attendees depart from the venue following a shooting during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, DC, US, April 25, 2026 [Ken Cedeno/ Reuters]
26 Apr 2026 - 04:20
 (04:20 GMT)
Developing

Democrats express relief, thank security services

Senior members of the Democratic Party have taken to social media to thank US security forces for thwarting the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner.

“Thankful for the swift law enforcement action to protect everyone from gunfire at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Praying for the safety of those who may remain in harm’s way. The violence and chaos in America must end,” said Hakeem Jeffries, minority leader in the US House of Representatives.

Chuck Schumer, the party’s minority leader in the Senate, said he was following events closely.

“I’m grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and am praying everyone remains safe,” he added.

Nancy Pelosi, a former House speaker and a serving representative, also expressed “great relief” at the safety of the president, first lady and all attendees.

“The brave men and women of the United States Secret Service and local law enforcement are to be commended for their swift action to secure the scene and protect those present,” she said.

“As someone whose family has suffered political violence, my prayers are with the injured officer and all those affected by the trauma of these horrible incidents.”

Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was attacked with a hammer during a home invasion of the couple’s San Francisco residence in 2022, leaving him with a fractured skull that required surgery.

26 Apr 2026 - 04:10
 (04:10 GMT)

WATCH: Trump confirms officer shot at White House correspondents’ gala

26 Apr 2026 - 04:00
 (04:00 GMT)

How the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner unfolded

By Alan Fisher

Reporting from Wahington, DC, US

It’s been a very unusual night here at the White House.

We don’t often get the president stepping from an assassination attempt, which is what it appears like on the face of it now, into the briefing room to give the media an update, with everyone in their finest clothes.

The president made it clear that he wanted to continue the event, but the Secret Service wouldn’t allow it.

It appears that this heavily armed man raced towards a Secret Service checkpoint and was stopped in his tracks by the Secret Service. He was not shot by the Secret Service; they took him to the ground and arrested him.

Clearly, shots were fired; that’s what was heard in the hall. A number of people started scrambling under tables. We had the incredible moment of Secret Service agents rushing onto the stage, speaking to the president.

The president seemed quite taken aback by the news. He himself initially had thought a tray had been dropped, or it was gunfire, and the Secret Service agent spirited him out of the hall along with the first lady and other members of the Cabinet.

On the stage of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, we saw Secret Service agents armed with guns standing, looking out over the hall in case there was another threat.

Behind the scenes, Trump, as I say, was keen to see the event continue, but Secret Service insisted that he return to the White House, which he did.

This is the third time that someone has tried to kill Trump, the third time that they’ve failed because of the smart, clever work, fast work, by the Secret Service, and Trump is back here in the White House tonight to be able to tell the tale.

26 Apr 2026 - 03:50
 (03:50 GMT)

Photos: Security forces respond to shooting at correspondents’ dinner

US President Donald Trump is escorted out as a shooter opens fire during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, DC, on Saturday, in this screengrab from a video [Bo Erickson/Reuters]
Members of law enforcement respond during the White House correspondents’ dinner [Tom Brenner/AP]
Armed commandos stand by as special guests are evacuated from the back of the Washington Hilton [Roberto Schmidt/AFP]

26 Apr 2026 - 03:46
 (03:46 GMT)
Houthi

Police chief says suspect believed to have been hotel guest

More from the Washington, DC, police chief.

Jeffery Carroll said he cannot say at this point what the suspect’s motivation was and that it is too soon to know who he had intended to target in the shooting.

Carroll said investigators believe the suspect was staying at the hotel, and that appears to be how he was able to enter the hotel at the time of the event.

26 Apr 2026 - 03:37
 (03:37 GMT)
Houthi

Suspect to be arraigned in federal court on Monday

More from Jeanine Pirro.

The US attorney says that “the defendant will be arraigned on Monday in federal district court” and that there will be many more charges against him as more information comes to light.

26 Apr 2026 - 03:35
 (03:35 GMT)

Suspect to be charged with two crimes, attorney says

US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris has been speaking to the press about the charges to be filed against the suspect.

She said he is being charged with two counts of “using a firearm during a crime of violence” and for “assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon”.

She added that while only one officer was injured, “it is clear, based upon what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could”, and was only stopped because the checkpoint outside the hotel worked.

She said all law enforcement agencies acted swiftly to prevent what could have been a “horrific event”.

26 Apr 2026 - 03:24
 (03:24 GMT)
Houthi

Police chief says suspect was not ‘struck by gunfire’

“The suspect in this case – he was not struck by gunfire. However, he was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated,” Carroll said.

“Again, we’re very early in the investigation… but at this point, it does appear that he is a lone actor; a lone gunman. That does not appear to be any sort of danger to the public at this time. However, we are continuing to investigate this matter.”