Gunfire erupted late Saturday during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton, but President Donald Trump and other senior officials were not hurt after a rapid Secret Service response. The disturbance began shortly after the event started when a lone suspect rushed a Secret Service checkpoint in the hotel lobby. Agents tackled the man, shots were exchanged, and one Secret Service agent was taken to a hospital with injuries. The suspect was not shot but was transported to a hospital in custody.
Authorities identified the arrested man as a 31-year-old California resident. Police said he was carrying a shotgun, a handgun and several knives and they believe he acted alone. Federal prosecutors announced he will face charges including using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on federal officers with a dangerous weapon; he is to be arraigned in federal court on Monday. Reports about his background say his LinkedIn profile lists a master’s degree, tutoring work and hobbyist video-game development, and campaign finance records show a $25 donation in 2024 to Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. CBS News reported that the suspect told law enforcement he was targeting Trump administration officials, though it was not immediately clear whether the president himself was a stated target.
Inside the ballroom, where roughly 2,300 guests were seated and the president was attending for the first time as a sitting president, Secret Service agents moved quickly. They hustled Mr. Trump and first lady Melania from the stage, formed protective buffers around Cabinet members, and instructed guests to shelter under tables while counter-assault teams swept the room. Video and eyewitness accounts showed agents pointing rifles into the crowd and escorting senior officials out. Mr. Trump later said he had wanted to continue the dinner but was told by the Secret Service to leave; at a subsequent White House news conference he thanked law enforcement and described the episode as “rather traumatic.”
The Secret Service deputy director said the attacker was stopped at initial contact and praised the agency’s layered security posture. Event security had included closing the hotel to the public several hours before the dinner, ticketed entry, metal detectors, a security buffer around the president, armored plates under the president’s table and agents positioned near the stage. Despite those precautions, some attendees criticized security as lax; officials said the rapid containment likely prevented a larger tragedy.
The FBI and other federal and local agencies are investigating the incident. The FBI director said witness interviews were underway. Acting Justice Department officials said the probe is ongoing and that charges would be filed promptly.
International leaders expressed shock and relief that no one was killed. French President Emmanuel Macron called the violence unacceptable; EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others condemned political violence and sent well-wishes to the president and first lady. The shooting also prompted renewed security discussions ahead of an imminent state visit by King Charles III to the United States.
The episode revived memories of earlier attacks and breaches targeting political figures and underscored officials’ warnings about the continuing risk of political violence in the U.S. In the hours after the incident, Mr. Trump posted on his social platform that the shooter had been arrested and praised law enforcement. The White House Correspondents’ Association gala — this year held without a comedian and marking the president’s first in-person attendance as sitting president — was abruptly interrupted; the president said the event would be held again within 30 days.