Authorities hunt for shooter who targeted Trump and administration officials at formal banquet

On April 25, 2026, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, US First Lady Melania Trump, US President Donald Trump, and CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang attended the White House Correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, marking President Trump's first attendance at the annual gala while in office.

n

Investigators revealed on Sunday that the gunman who attempted to storm the dinner planned to assassinate President Trump and other top officials, prompting scrutiny over the event's security measures.

n

President Trump was rushed out of the hotel ballroom by Secret Service agents and later posted surveillance footage of the gunman trying to sprint past a security checkpoint, which was followed by a brief exchange of gunfire with agents.

n

The suspect was detained at the scene and was being questioned on Sunday before his scheduled court appearance the following day, with President Trump sharing photos of the suspect handcuffed on the carpeted hotel floor.

n

According to acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche, the suspect is not actively cooperating, and is expected to be formally charged in federal court in Washington the next morning, with preliminary findings indicating that the suspect was targeting members of the administration.

n

Blanche confirmed that the suspect, who was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives, was staying at the Washington Hilton hotel where the black-tie dinner was held on Saturday evening, and had traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then from Chicago to Washington.

n

The suspect, who purchased the firearms in the past couple of years, had no known motive for the attack, according to Blanche, who also stated that the suspect's journey to Washington was a key part of the investigation.

n

President Trump revealed that the gunman had written an "anti-Christian" manifesto, describing the suspect as a "sick guy" whose sibling had complained about his behavior to law enforcement.

n

The New York Post identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen, who had written a note to his family shortly before the attack, stating that his targets would be "prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest".

n

In the aftermath of the clash, Secret Service agents swarmed into the ballroom, causing chaotic scenes as attendees dove under tables, with Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and hundreds of guests in attendance.

n

At a late-night news conference, President Trump recounted that he initially thought the noise was a tray being dropped, before realizing it was gunfire, and expressed hope that the annual gala would be rescheduled within a month.

n

Trump stated that the hotel venue was "not a particularly secure" facility, raising questions about the president's safety protocols, and noted that the officer who was shot at close range in his safety vest appeared to be not seriously harmed.

n

The incident was not the first attempt on President Trump's life, as he was the target of an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in 2024, and another man was arrested after a Secret Service agent saw the barrel of a rifle poking from the bushes on the perimeter of the West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing a round.

n

The Washington Hilton, where Saturday's gala took place, was also the site of an assassination attempt on Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1981, with Trump citing the latest incident as a reason for planning a new ballroom next to the White House.

n

Despite his repeated attacks on the media, the White House Correspondents’ Association invited President Trump to its gala this year, marking a break from his precedent of not attending the event while in office, with the dinner aiming to raise funds for scholarships and awards.

n

The incident occurred less than 48 hours before King Charles III and Queen Camilla were set to begin a four-day state visit to Washington, with the event's timing raising concerns about security and protocol.