Hundreds of journalists, celebrities and politicians, including President Donald Trump and the two men next in line to succeed him, had taken their seats at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday night when, one floor above, a man rushed toward a Washington Hilton Hotel security checkpoint armed with guns and knives.
In the ballroom, big-band music played while guests in tuxedos and gowns talked over their appetizers. On the dais, the evening’s entertainer, Oz Pearlman, leaned over Trump to show him a mind-reading trick as the association’s president, CBS correspondent Weijia Jiang, watched. The following account is based on video footage and interviews from the event.
Next to Trump, first lady Melania Trump turned to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Vice President JD Vance sat a few chairs down. Elsewhere were various members of Congress and Trump’s Cabinet — including House Speaker Mike Johnson, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel.
8:34 p.m.
It was 8:34 p.m., according to White House pool footage. The armed attacker, after reaching the street-level checkpoint, ran past the weapon detectors and a handful of guards and headed toward the stairs leading to the ballroom below, security footage shared by Trump on social media shows. The guards immediately pulled their guns and chased him. Gunshots rang out.
The pops, about six of them, reverberated into the ballroom, where for a few moments no one, including Trump, appeared to recognize them as gunfire. Then people started yelling for everyone to get down and stay down. Melania Trump’s face turned grave, and she appears to say, “What happened?” as Secret Service agents ran into the ballroom. One agent grabbed Vance’s shoulders and pulled him from his chair. Plates and silverware crashed. Guests ducked. Some shrieked. The music cut.
Guests hid under tables. Secret Service agents surrounded Trump and as they pulled him from the dais, he dropped to the ground, got back up and was led away. Agents led Johnson out, shouting, “Move, move!”
In a 9:52 p.m. message posted on X, Johnson said they were safe.
“We’re grateful as always for the law enforcement and first responders who acted so quickly to bring the situation under control,” said Johnson, R-La. “Praying for our country tonight.”
Law enforcement officers, rifles drawn, stepped on the stage and scanned the crowd while agents hopped over tables to pull administration officials and lawmakers away. Some guests ran for the exits, while others lingered in the confusing aftermath. A hush fell over the room.
The attacker, later identified as Cole Tomas Allen, did not make it to the ballroom. He fell near the top of the stairs and was apprehended by law enforcement, where video showed him lying face down covered by a foil blanket at officers’ feet. Authorities said he had made it to the lobby from his room at the hotel, and was carrying a shotgun, a handgun and several knives. Law enforcement officers exchanged fire with him, and one Secret Service agent was struck by a bullet that was stopped by his protective vest, officials said. Allen was not hit.
8:58 p.m.
The evacuation continued. At one point, about 24 minutes after the gunshots, Jiang announced that the event’s program would resume, but that did not happen.
9:39 p.m.
Instead, guests were told to leave the event.
“Law enforcement has requested that we leave the premises consistent with protocol. He wanted to emphasize nobody was hurt, he, the first lady, the Cabinet, everybody is safe,” Jiang said. “So thank God, everybody’s safe, and thank you for coming together tonight. We will do this again. Thank you.”
Trump said he would give a statement at the White House, and attention turned there.
10:26 p.m.
Trump delivered his remarks at the press briefing room, flanked by many of his top officials, all wearing tuxedos. Reporters were still in their gowns and tuxedos, too.
“That was unexpected,” Trump began, then praised the work of the Secret Service and other law enforcement at “an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press.”
“I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was, in one way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing to see a man charge a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons. He was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service, and they acted very quickly.”
Allen was charged Monday with the attempted assassination of the president. Tezira Abe, his federal public defender, said Allen had no prior arrests or convictions. "He is presumed innocent at this time."
