Security forces stormed the podium where Donald Trump was sitting during the event.Image: keystone
Several shots were fired at the US correspondents’ dinner. US President Donald Trump and other cabinet members were hastily evacuated and a 31-year-old armed man was arrested.
April 26, 2026, 06:16April 26, 2026, 06:37
That’s what happened
Shots were fired at the US government’s annual correspondents’ dinner in a hotel in the capital Washington. President Donald Trump and other members of the US government were hastily evacuated from a podium. The Secret Service subdued and arrested a 31-year-old man. The background has not yet been clarified. Trump, who was meanwhile taken from the podium to the adjacent hotel, later returned and gave a press conference.
The moment Trump is taken out of the hall:
Video: watson/x
This is what is known about what happened
According to Washington Police Chief Jeffery Carroll, the detainee was carrying multiple weapons as he attempted to pass through a Secret Service checkpoint outside the main hall. According to Carroll, the man was armed with a shotgun, a pistol and several knives. When he was stopped by Secret Service agents, an exchange of gunfire ensued. Eventually the gunman was overpowered.
Secret Service agents during the incident.Image: keystone
According to Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, the detainee was not hit by bullets but is currently being examined at a hospital in the capital. According to Bowser, a Secret Service agent was hit and injured and is also being treated at a local hospital.
The shots could be clearly heard during dinner in the main hall, where guests had gathered at tables, as numerous videos show. After heavily armed security forces stormed the podium and Donald Trump and other high-ranking attendees were evacuated, many of the guests hid behind tables and chairs.
Donald Trump is hastily led from the podium.Image: keystone
The mayor and the police chief of Washington confirmed statements made by Donald Trump at a media conference called by him at short notice (see next point), according to which the authorities assume that the attacker was a lone perpetrator.
According to Police Chief Carroll, the arrested man was a guest at the renowned Hilton Hotel, where the event took place. According to the New York Times This is the same place where an assassin attempted to assassinate then US President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
That’s what Trump says
Shortly after the incident and the evacuation, the US President announced via his Truth Social platform that he would like to continue the dinner if the security situation permitted. In fact, Trump then returned to the scene, but not for the regular continuation of the dinner. Instead, the 79-year-old commented in detail on his point of view in a media conference.
Trump said he fought “like a lion” to be able to continue the dinner. But he wanted to follow the instructions of the security authorities. Instead, a new date will be found so that the dinner can be held regularly.
Donald Trump gave a press conference after the incident.Image: keystone
Trump explained that he initially thought the loud noises, which then turned out to be gunshots, were dishes or a tray crashing to the floor. Then things happened quickly, the Secret Service quickly brought him and other Cabinet members as well as First Lady Melania Trump to safety. He thanked the security authorities for their quick reaction and their “fantastic work”.
In addition to Trump and the First Lady, Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secret Service Director Tulsi Gabbard, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Communications Director Steven Cheung and FBI Director Kash Patel were also present at the dinner.
The US President said in his media conference that the incident had “united” America.
«This was an event dedicated to free speech and intended to bring together members of both parties and members of the press. And in a way she succeeded.”
He appealed to the public to “stand together and resolve our differences peacefully” after the incident.
The US President described the attacker as a “very, very sick person”. The investigators assumed that it was a lone perpetrator, and he saw it that way too.
Trump also promoted the new ballroom that he is having built at the White House. The incident is proof of why a new, larger meeting room in the government building is needed, equipped with better security mechanisms and materials.
This is what is known about the perpetrator
According to authorities, the man arrested is a 31-year-old named Cole Tomas Allen from California. According to CNN information, the man is a graduate of the renowned college California Institute of Technology, or Caltech for short. As a result, the man studied engineering there. According to his Linkedin profile, he currently works as a tutor and video game developer.
According to US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the investigation into the man’s background and motives is ongoing. According to Pirro, he faces two charges: on the one hand, for using firearms during a violent crime, and on the other hand, for assaulting a federal officer with a weapon.
Jeanine Pirro witnessed the incident up close.Image: keystone
Pirro further explained that based on the facts known so far, it is assumed that the perpetrator “wanted to cause as much damage as possible”. The 31-year-old will be brought before a judge on Monday.
This story is continually updated.