Updated on: April 26, 2026 / 1:54 AM EDT / CBS News
President Trump told reporters Saturday night he wanted the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner to continue after he was evacuated when shots rang out at the Washington Hilton, where the event was taking place.
Three law enforcement sources identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California. The suspect is in custody and hospitalized. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the investigation is “ongoing” and that charges will be filed “shortly.”
The president said one Secret Service agent was struck by a round but was protected by a bulletproof vest. Trump said he was “very far away” when the shots were fired and that the suspect “hadn’t come anywhere close to breach the doors of the room.” Asked if he was concerned about threats to his life, he responded, “It’s a dangerous profession.”
Trump released photos of the suspect and a clip of security video, saying they showed “the violence of this thug that attacked the Constitution, and also showing how quickly Secret Service and law enforcement acted.”
The evacuation occurred just after 8:30 p.m. ET after gunfire sent attendees scurrying and ducking under tables. Secret Service agents whisked Trump and first lady Melania Trump off the stage.
Sources said the suspect had a shotgun and a handgun. Trump said he initially thought he heard a “tray going down” before realizing it was gunfire. “Some people really understood that pretty quickly, other people didn’t,” he said. He described Melania as “very cognisant” and said they were “really whisked away” along with others.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News the suspect told investigators he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials. One source said the suspect did not explicitly say he was targeting Mr. Trump himself.
An image circulated of the moment Trump was rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner after shots were fired outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026. Bo Erickson / REUTERS
One officer was shot but “saved by the fact that he was wearing, obviously, a very good bulletproof vest. He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun,” Trump said, adding that the officer was in good spirits after speaking with him.
“This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press,” Trump said. “And in a certain way it did. Because the fact that they just unified, I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was, in one way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing to see.”
Trump said the event would be rescheduled within the next 30 days. He said he “fought like hell” to keep the event going, but law enforcement insisted otherwise.
White House Correspondents Association president and CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang asked Trump what he felt when the shooting occurred, noting his own history of being shot in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump replied, “It’s always shocking when something like this happens. Happened to me, a little bit. And that never changes.”
Addressing political violence more broadly, he said “no country is immune” and “it comes with the territory.” He urged resolving differences and noted the diverse makeup of the crowd that night — Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals and progressives — and said he was impressed by the unity and “tremendous amount of love and coming together” he observed.
Jennifer Jacobs contributed to this report.
In: White House Correspondents’ Dinner; Donald Trump