A California man armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives charged toward the ballroom during the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night at the Washington Hilton Hotel, prompting Secret Service agents to swiftly evacuate President Donald Trump and other senior government officials from the event.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was subdued near the main magnetometer security screening area outside the ballroom after exchanging gunfire with law enforcement. One law enforcement officer was struck in the chest but was protected by a bulletproof vest and is expected to recover. No other injuries were reported.

"He was running full-blast," Trump said hours later during a White House briefing room news conference. "The suspect was a guest at the hotel who charged at the security checkpoint from about 50 yards away." Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN that investigators believe Allen was targeting Trump administration officials, though a complete motive remains under investigation.

Trump, dressed in a tuxedo alongside First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance, was ushered off stage by security after the shots were fired near stairs leading to the ballroom. Attendees, including major journalists, ducked under tables as agents shouted "shots fired." CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, who was outside the main ballroom, reported being only a few feet from the gunman when the shots were fired.

Allen, armed with knives in addition to firearms, has been charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. He will be arraigned Monday in federal court. Federal law enforcement executed multiple search warrants at his home Saturday night.

The 2026 correspondents' dinner marked Trump's first attendance as a sitting president. Trump said investigators believe the suspect acted alone and praised the law enforcement response. He committed to rescheduling the event within 30 days, calling the annual celebration "dedicated to freedom of speech."

The incident marks the third apparent threat against Trump in less than two years. Trump survived an assassination attempt during a July 2024 campaign rally in Pennsylvania, and a man was arrested near his golf course in Florida months later.