A suspect has been taken into custody after gunfire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday evening at the Washington Hilton, the U.S. Secret Service said. President Trump and the first lady were not hurt.
The president, speaking from the White House after the incident, said a Secret Service agent who was struck while wearing a bulletproof vest is “doing great.” Authorities said the shooting happened at a security screening area inside the hotel near the entrance to the main ballroom.
President Trump posted surveillance video that appears to show officers pursuing an assailant through part of the venue, and he shared photos of a shirtless man lying face down. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said charges against the suspect would be filed soon.
Metropolitan Police Department official Jeffery Carroll told reporters the suspect “was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.” Investigators believe the person was a hotel guest. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said the suspect is being charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, and additional charges are likely. Law enforcement said the suspect was not struck by gunfire but is being evaluated at a local hospital.
What sounded like gunshots rang out shortly after 8:30 p.m. ET. Hundreds of journalists, politicians and other attendees fled the ballroom, where President Trump, Vice President Vance and other administration members had been present. Video from inside the room showed security quickly clearing people from the main stage as someone shouted, “stay down.”
On social media the president praised the Secret Service and other law enforcement personnel, saying they acted “quickly and bravely.” He added that he had suggested they “LET THE SHOW GO ON” but that the decision would be guided by law enforcement.
Authorities evacuated several high-ranking cabinet officials to rooms inside the hotel, including EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FBI Director Kash Patel. Mr. Trump later posted that all cabinet members were safe.
White House Correspondents Association President Weijia Jiang, speaking after the incident, said journalism is a public service and noted, “when there is an emergency, we run to the crisis, not away from it.” She added, “Thank God everybody’s safe and thank you for coming together tonight. We will do this again.”
The shooting comes amid a recent string of threats and attacks involving public officials and media. During his 2024 reelection campaign, Mr. Trump was grazed by a bullet at a July rally in Pennsylvania; two attendees were wounded and rallygoer Corey Comperatore was killed, and a Secret Service sniper killed that attacker. In September 2024, a Secret Service agent at Trump International in West Palm Beach reported seeing a man with a semi-automatic rifle concealed in a tree line; that suspect fled and was arrested. In 2018, a man mailed pipe bombs to critics of Mr. Trump, including CNN’s offices; that individual was later sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The Washington Hilton is the site of a well-known episode of political violence: in 1981 President Ronald Reagan was shot outside the hotel. Three others were injured, including press secretary James Brady, who suffered brain damage, was permanently disabled and became a gun control activist. The White House press briefing room was later renamed in Brady’s honor.
— Deepa Shivaram contributed to this report.