# Gunman's attack halts White House Correspondents' dinner with Trump  
**Published:** 2026-04-26T17:43:37.000Z  
**Source:** [LEX 18 News](https://www.lex18.com/us-news/crime/what-happened-inside-the-ballroom-when-a-gunman-tried-to-breach-trumps-night-with-the-press)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/gunman-s-attack-halts-white-house-correspondents-dinner-with-trump

A gunman armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives attempted to breach the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday night in Washington, forcing security to evacuate President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and roughly 2,300 other attendees from the ballroom at the Washington Hilton, according to [reporting from LEX 18 News](https://www.lex18.com/us-news/crime/what-happened-inside-the-ballroom-when-a-gunman-tried-to-breach-trumps-night-with-the-press).

The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, stormed the hotel lobby and ran past security barricades before being tackled by Secret Service agents. One officer sustained a gunshot wound to the chest but was protected by body armor and is recovering. The gunman was taken into custody without injury and was being evaluated at a hospital.

The disruption occurred as guests were being served their main course of prime chateaubriand and Maine lobster. Mentalist Oz Pearlman was performing a magic trick for Trump on stage when shots rang out outside the ballroom. The gunfire initially caused confusion among some attendees, with Trump himself uncertain whether the sound was a gunshot or a dropped tray.

Those seated near the doors were first to respond as security shouted "Shots fired." Guests dove under tables and chairs, overturning place settings and spilling wine as heavily armed Secret Service agents and law enforcement flooded the venue. Vice President Vance was the first to be removed from the stage, followed by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who were initially shielded by armored plating before being escorted to a secure suite.

Cabinet members including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were among those evacuated from the ballroom. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., described taking a knee as security descended on the room.

Trump remained at the hotel for several hours following the incident. He initially wanted the dinner to proceed after security was reestablished, with staff refilling water glasses and adjusting the teleprompter for his remarks. However, he deferred to security protocols and announced the event would be rescheduled within 30 days.

"When you're impactful they go after you," Trump said later at the White House. "I'm not a basket case." He added that while the evening turned out differently than planned, "we're going to do it again."

## Sources

- [LEX 18 News](https://www.lex18.com/us-news/crime/what-happened-inside-the-ballroom-when-a-gunman-tried-to-breach-trumps-night-with-the-press)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from LEX 18 News. The original source is available at https://www.lex18.com/us-news/crime/what-happened-inside-the-ballroom-when-a-gunman-tried-to-breach-trumps-night-with-the-press.