President Donald Trump was whisked out of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner after shots were fired in the vicinity.
UPDATE 10:41 pm ET
Trump says the shooter appears to have been a lone shooter but that “well find out very quickly.”
Blanche takes the stage and says, “This investigation is ongoing. I expect you will see charges filed shortly. The charges should be self evident, given the conduct, but as you’ll hear, there will be multiple charges around the shooting, around the possession of firearms and anything else that we can get get on this guy.”
UPDATE 10:40 pm ET
Holy Smokes! Trump posts a video on Truth Social of what appears to be the suspect sprinting through security before being apprehended.
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116468650367386223
UPDATE 10:37 pm ET
Trump says the Washington Hilton is “not a particularly secure building.” Having been to countless events, I can attest to this.
He says this is why the White House Ballroom he has been working to build is so critically needed. The Left is going to explode at this, but Trump is making a valid point.
UPDATE 10:35 pm ET
Trump is at the podium: “This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press, and in some ways it did.”
He is joined by FBI Director Kash Patel, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and Acting AG Todd Blanche, among others.
Trump says a Secret Service agent was shot in the chest but was wearing a bulletproof vest. ” He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job. I just spoke to the officer, and he’s doing great,” Trump says.
UPDATE 10:32 pm ET
World leaders are beginning to weigh in on tonight’s incident. Here’s the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif:
“Deeply shocked by the disturbing shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., a short while ago. Relieved to know that President Trump, the First Lady, and other attendees are safe. My thoughts and prayers are with him, and I wish him continued safety and well-being.”
UPDATE 10:27 pm ET
White House officials tell Breitbart News Trump’s press briefing is moments away.
UPDATE 10:15 pm ET
Here’s video reported to be of the alleged shooter being detained at the Washington Hilton.
The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, named for the Ronald Reagan press secretary shot in the head, suffering sever brain damage, at the same Washington Hilton hotel where the dinner was held tonight, is being set up for Trump’s press conference.
UPDATE 9:58 pm ET
Karol Markowicz reports that the shooter 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California and he is in custody. There have been conflicting reports on whether or not he was shot and killed.
UPDATE 9:56 pm ET
Attendees have begun filing out of the ballroom. An announcer asked any members of Congress in attendance to report to the stage
Leaving an event of this type at the Hilton is a disaster in the best of times. Getting an uber or getting to your car at this time, when so many people are rattled or worse, will be downright terrible.
UPDATE 9:53 pm ET
Nick Sorter shared an unconfirmed photo of the shooter apprehended by Secret Service.
UPDATE 9:49 pm ET
Weija Jang, CBS News’ senior White House correspondent and a member of the WHCA, gave and update from the podium with what seemed like an ill-timed snarky comment: “I know you’ve already seen the President’s tweet.
My apologies. His post on Truth Social.”
She passed along Trump’s announcement that he would hold a press briefing in thirty minutes, which garnered laughter from inside the room of reporters.
“That is not a joke,” Jang responded with a laugh and shake of her head.
People are still locked inside closets shaken up and scared for their lives after witnessing a would-be murderer reportedly shot dead.
UPDATE 9:41 pm ET
The dinner is being held at the Washington Hilton, a popular venue in Washington which is perhaps best known as the site where President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981 by John Hinckley.
UPDATE 9:39 pm ET
Trump provides another update, says he is leaving the hotel premises and will be giving a press conference in a half hour. Says the event will be rescheduled and Melania and high-level government officials are safe:
“Law Enforcement has requested that we leave the premises, consistent with protocol, which we will do, immediately. I will be giving a press conference in 30 minutes from the White House Press Briefing Room. The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition. We will be speaking to you in a half an hour. I have spoken with all the representatives in charge of the event, and we will be rescheduling within 30 days. President DONALD J. TRUMP”
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116468441221231506
UPDATE 9:31 pm ET
Fox News reports that Trump was never escorted away from the premises:
“We’re told by his detail someone tried to get through the mags with a gun. The counter assault team did their job (unclear what that means) and the subject is now offsite. POTUS was evacuated to a hold – the rest of us from the head table are down the hall from him. Secret service had to determine if there were any other threats, we are being told there are no threats. The building is NOT being evacuated. We are waiting for staff to reset head table to resume the program.”
UPDATE 9:29 pm ET
Here is video of Trump when the shooting occurred. After the initial pops of gunfire, it took almost ten seconds for a security official to get to Trump, and then almost another ten seconds before he was grabbed and taken off the stage.
UPDATE 9:24 pm ET
Trump commends the Secret Service and law enforcement, says the shooter was apprehended and that he wants to continue but will defer to law enforcement.
“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. 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”
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116468367583052130
UPDATE 9:18 pm ET
FOX News reports the shots were fired by Secret Service, not by a shooter, that the would-be shooter was trying to rush past magnetometer and was shot by Secret Service.
UPDATE 9:17 pm ET
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the Secret Service is in charge of the hotel complex and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who she just spoke with, is on her way, as is Interim Chief of Police of the Metropolitan Police Department Jeffrey Carroll, who will be in charge once he arrives.
UPDATE 9:13 pm ET
Speaker Mike Johnson and other high-ranking officials were also taken out of the room by security when the shooting took place. Yet most of the approximately 2,500 or so attendees dining at the time were trapped in the ballroom.
UPDATE 9:11 pm ET
This is chaos. An attendee told Breitbart News via phone they are barricaded in a kitchen pantry with a couple of other attendees who were away from their seats when the shooting took place. Another attendee barricaded inside the pantry could be heard saying “oh f*** no” when they were informed by Breitbart News that the program would resume.
UPDATE 9:05 pm ET
A speaker took to the podium to note that the program would resume momentarily and more details will be shared when available. The announcement was met with muted applause.
UPDATE 9:03pmET
CNN reports a shooter was killed on the scene, it appears in the hotel adjoining the ballroom where the dinner took place.
https://twitter.com/RapidReport2025/status/2048202951798161564/video/1?s=46
This is a breaking story.
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