The White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the Washington Hilton was disrupted when a 31-year-old suspect armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives stormed the hotel. Roughly 2,300 guests ducked under tables as Secret Service and law enforcement officers secured the ballroom and escorted President Trump and other VIPs to safety. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, was tackled and taken into custody; one officer was hit but protected by a bullet-resistant vest. Organizers said the dinner will be rescheduled within 30 days.
Chaos at WHCA Dinner: Gunman Storms Washington Hilton; Trump, VIPs Escorted to Safety
U.S. Secret Service agents surround President Donald Trump after a shooting incident outside the ballroom during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the Washington Hilton was dramatically disrupted Saturday night when a man armed with multiple weapons charged the hotel and attempted to reach the ballroom where President Donald Trump and roughly 2,300 guests were gathered.
Immediate Panic and Security Response
The gala — an uneasy ritual in which journalists dine alongside many of the public figures they cover — had just moved from cocktail hour into dinner when shots rang out outside the ballroom. Guests ducked under tables, overturned table settings and spilled wine as security shouted that shots had been fired. Oz Pearlman, the mentalist performing on stage for the president, later said he was in the middle of a trick when the noise began.
President Donald Trump arrives at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House after a shooting incident outside the ballroom at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
"Was that a gunshot?" some attendees asked. Mr. Trump later said he wondered if a waiter had dropped a tray: "I was hoping it was a tray. But it wasn’t."
Evacuation of VIPs and Law Enforcement Action
Secret Service agents and a broad law enforcement response, including National Guard units, flooded the area. Vice President J.D. Vance was the first to be pulled from the stage; the president and first lady were initially shielded behind armored plating before being escorted to a secure suite behind the stage. Several senior officials and aides were also escorted out by security teams.
Guests take cover under tables after a shooting incident outside the ballroom during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Security officers subdued the suspect in the hotel lobby after a brief confrontation. Police said the suspect carried a shotgun, a handgun and knives. One officer was struck but protected by a bullet-resistant vest and was expected to recover. Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California; he was taken into custody and later evaluated at a hospital.
Aftermath
Attendees who fled the ballroom were funneled through emergency exits and sometimes had to walk blocks to reach streets blocked by police vehicles. Event staff and aides prepared to resume the dinner once security cleared the scene, but organizers deferred to security protocols and announced the event would be rescheduled within 30 days.
Back at the White House later that night, Mr. Trump said, "When you’re impactful they go after you... I’m not a basket case," and added, "We’re going to do it again."
Officials said there were no serious injuries among ballroom attendees. The Washington Hilton has historically been used for the dinner in part because of its association with the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan near the hotel.
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