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Trump safe after shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner

· Source: LEX 18 News

President Donald Trump and attendees at the White House Correspondents' Dinner were evacuated Saturday night after a shooting in a security area near the Washington Hilton, according to reporting from LEX 18 News. No injuries were reported among attendees, though a Secret Service agent was struck in his bulletproof vest.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was taken into custody at the scene. Authorities said Allen was staying at the hotel and was armed with a shotgun when officers tackled him to the ground. He has been charged with two counts: using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.

Trump posted surveillance video to his Truth Social account showing the suspect running through the hotel as Secret Service agents fired their weapons. After his evacuation, Trump spoke briefly with press at the White House, characterizing the incident as involving "a lone wolf whack job." When asked if he believed he was the target, Trump responded, "I guess."

Trump praised the Secret Service's response and noted the suspect charged from approximately 50 yards away from the event space. He said he spoke with the agent who was struck and reported the officer was "OK and in high spirits."

Saturday marked Trump's first attendance at the annual dinner as president. He had previously skipped the event in prior years, citing his complicated relationship with the press. Despite the incident, Trump indicated he wants the dinner rescheduled within approximately 30 days. "We're going to do it again," he told reporters. "We'll make it safer, I guess, right? But we're going to make it even better." He also praised members of the press who attended, noting the formal attire present at the event.

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/trump-evacuated-after-security-incident-at-white-house-correspondents-dinner-no-sign-of-injuries.

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