President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night. The two were rushed off the stage from where they were sitting when loud sounds were heard from inside the ballroom. No injuries were reported, and both Trump and local authorities have since said a suspect was taken into custody.
The rest of the guests, which included journalists, politicians, and celebrities, were not evacuated following the incident, which occurred about 45 minutes into the event’s start. Gun shots were heard inside the ballroom, and attendees crouched near their seats. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer said he witnessed a gunman outside the ballroom, and according to The New York Times the suspect was stopped at the security perimeter and taken into custody.
Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after the incident. “Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely,” the president wrote. “The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we “LET THE SHOW GO ON” but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement. They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang initially told those in attendance that the program would resume, but later announced it had been canceled and said it would be rescheduled within 30 days. Trump held a news conference from the White House later Saturday night, announcing that a Secret Service agent had been shot in their bulletproof vest. He also claimed the building wasn’t “particularly secure,” and that the incident proves the need for a new White House ballroom, the construction of which has for now been thwarted by a federal judge.
In a statement, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the agency was working with the D.C. police department to investigate “a shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening area.” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said later in a press conference that a “sole gunman rushed a Secret Service checkpoint in a lobby at the hotel.” Authorities added that the suspect was armed with “a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.”
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for D.C., said the suspect has been charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. The suspect has not been identified by law enforcement, but multiple outlets have reported that the suspect is Cole Allen Thomas, a 31-year-old man from Torrance, California.
Trump attended the function for the first time as president. Mentalist Oz Pearlman was set to host. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been held annually since 1921. Hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association, it serves as a fundraiser to benefit young journalists and to celebrate those who cover the administration.
