Trump rushed off stage after press dinner shooting: As it happened (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

The US president said the shooter was apprehended and praised the Secret Service for acting “quickly and bravely”

Published 26 Apr, 2026 01:00 | Updated 26 Apr, 2026 09:01

US President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other senior officials were rushed from the room by the security detail after several shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The scramble came after an armed suspect – later identified as 31-year-old California-based teacher Cole Tomas Allen – attempted to break through a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel.

The suspect and security exchanged fire, after which he was apprehended. One Secret Service agent was hit by a bullet, but avoided major injury due to his ballistic vest, according to media reports.

The motives of the suspect are so far unclear, though CBS News reported that Allen told law enforcement that he wanted to attack Trump officials.

Trump praised the Secret Service for doing a “fantastic job,” adding that “they acted quickly and bravely” and all officials were safe. He also described the presidency as a “dangerous profession,” saying “no country is immune” to political violence.

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26 April 2026
08:55 GMT
Suspect Cole Allen had no prior criminal record and was not on the radar of law enforcement, according to NBC News. A former high school volleyball teammate described him as “super stable,” “gentle,” and highly intelligent.
“He didn’t have to study. It would just come to him. He was really, really smart,” the person told the network. “Across the board, he was really knowledgeable, really curious.”
07:56 GMT
Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez has condemned “the attempt of aggression against President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania.”
07:23 GMT
The FBI is preparing to serve a search warrant related to the incident at the dinner, Bill Essayli, the first assistant US attorney for the Central District of California, has said, as cited by NBC. The report came amid a heavy police presence in Torrance, California around the home of the suspect, Cole Allen.
06:41 GMT
The Secret Service agent injured in the attack has been released from the hospital, NBC reports, citing a source. Trump earlier said the officer was hit by a bullet but was likely saved by his ballistic vest.
06:12 GMT
The DC police have said the suspect apparently acted alone, adding that two firearms and multiple knives have been recovered.
05:39 GMT
The suspected shooter, Cole Allen, has told law enforcement that he wanted to attack Trump officials, CBS News reports, citing two sources.
05:39 GMT
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said she was relieved to learn that Trump and the first lady “are doing well after the recent events.”
“We send our respect. Violence should never be the way,” she added.
05:25 GMT
Videos on social media show a heavy police presence in Torrance, California, the home town of suspected shooter Cole Allen.
🚨🇺🇸BREAKING: Heavy police presence reported in Torrance, California, hometown of the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooter Cole Tomas Allen.Black SUVs swarming the area.pic.twitter.com/ROen987W36 https://t.co/pEKm8otaWF
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 26, 2026
05:10 GMT
A video posted by CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil shows senior staff and Cabinet members being evacuated from the venue, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Alina Habba, Todd Blanche, Stephen Miller, Katie Miller, and Pete Hegseth.
Attendees can be heard shouting “God bless America” and “USA, USA” as the group is escorted out.
View from the ground as Trump senior staff and cabinet members evacuated tonight, including Kennedy, Blanche, Stephen and Katie Miller, and Pete Hegseth. pic.twitter.com/p70geTnIF4
— Tony Dokoupil (@tonydokoupil) April 26, 2026
04:57 GMT
Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk – executive director of Turning Point USA and a prominent supporter of Donald Trump, who was shot and killed at an event in Utah last year – was also attending the event.
Footage circulating on social media shows her visibly distressed as she is escorted away, saying: “I just want to go home.”
A crying Erika Kirk being evacuated moments after shooting.She can be heard saying:“I just want to go home” pic.twitter.com/l0A0C1rfsk
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) April 26, 2026

26 April 2026
01:02 GMT
President Donald Trump was abruptly evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton. The Secret Service and other law enforcement personnel rushed into the ballroom as guests ducked under tables, according to footage from the scene.
01:09 GMT
Authorities had not publicly detailed the nature of the threat in the initial aftermath, and early reporting stopped short of definitively confirming a shooting. White House reporter Jeff Mordock said there were “several loud bangs” before Secret Service agents, with guns drawn, pushed reporters out of the room shouting, “Shots fired.”
01:15 GMT
The annual dinner, held by the White House Correspondents’ Association, had just begun, and Trump and first lady Melania Trump had arrived only shortly before the disruption unfolded, cutting short what would have been his first appearance at the event as president.
01:20 GMT
According to footage from the scene, the incident triggered a major security response and immediate chaos inside one of Washington’s most high-profile political and media gatherings.
01:32 GMT
Another video shoes security presence outside the venue.
01:39 GMT
The US president said that law enforcement had requested that everyone leave the premises “consistent with protocol.” He promised to deliver a press conference about the incident from the White House Press Briefing Room in about half an hour.
01:41 GMT
Before the dramatic events unfolded, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt joked that “there will be shots fired tonight” during Trump’s speech.
01:52 GMT
Videos circulating online show alleged suspect lying on the floor under a foil blanket, with his hands tied behind his back, surrounded by security agents.
02:20 GMT
One of the videos appeared to show Vice President J.D. Vance being hurried off the stage by Secret Service agents during the security scare.
02:25 GMT
The Secret Service said the shooting incident unfolded “near the main magnetometer screening area,” adding that one individual was in custody.
We will provide updates as they become available and confirm information. Our teams are on the ground assessing the situation and investigating. All of our protectees are safe. pic.twitter.com/BYl6sR5WVU
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) April 26, 2026