Inside the Trump press gala shooting: What happened and what’s next

Inside the Trump press gala shooting: What happened and what’s next



This image released by US President Donald Trump via his Truth Social account (@realDonaldTrump) shows a person he claims to be the alleged suspect in the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on the ground after being apprehended on April 25, 2026. — AFP pic

Sunday, 26 Apr 2026 1:27 PM MYT


WASHINGTON, April 26 — US President Donald Trump and other attendees were evacuated last night after gunshots were fired at a glitzy media gala in Washington.

As details continue to emerge and investigations are underway, here is what we know about the shooting:


What happened in the ballroom?

Shots were heard after the welcoming speech at the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents’ Association being held at the Washington Hilton Hotel, according to AFP reporters and other witnesses.


Tactical security teams with guns drawn took position on the stage where Trump was seated alongside his wife Melania, Vice President JD Vance and other officials, who were swiftly evacuated.


Hundreds of guests in black tie in the ballroom took cover under tables and later made their way into the hotel lobby and then outdoors as the event was postponed.

Authorities said no dignitaries or gala guests were hurt.


How did the shooting unfold?

A “sole gunman” rushed through a security checkpoint in the hotel lobby just outside the ballroom where the dinner was taking place around 8:36 pm (0036 GMT), according to authorities.

Trump shared footage on his Truth Social platform which appeared to show the suspect charging at the checkpoint before being swarmed by officers.

“He was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives,” Metropolitan Police Department interim chief Jeffery Carroll told reporters.

Law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the suspect and “intercepted that individual.”

A uniformed Secret Service officer was “struck in his vest” and taken to hospital, but was doing well, Carroll said.

The suspect was not hit by gunfire, but was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.

He was in custody and due to be arraigned on Monday in a federal court.

A long gun and shell casings were found on the scene, FBI Director Kash Patel said, adding that the agency was carrying out witness interviews as part of its probe.

Who is the suspect?

Trump shared photos of the suspected shooter, shirtless and in handcuffs facedown on a carpeted floor, in what appears to be the Hilton lobby.

Authorities are yet to publicly confirm his identity, but US media reported that the suspect was a 31-year-old named Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California.

Based on preliminary information, “we do believe he was a guest here at the hotel,” Carroll told reporters.

The detained man is believed to be the only suspect in the case, officials said.

He is being charged with two counts currently: using a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.

Other charges could still be brought as the investigation proceeds.

“My impression is he was a lone wolf,” Trump said, adding that the suspect’s motivation was not yet clear but he believed the gunman was “sick.”

Were there security failures?

Questions swirled regarding the security at the reception and how a gun was brought into the hotel.

Attendees pointed out that there was a magnetometer placed outside the ballroom, but there was no such screening before that or at the entrance to the hotel itself.

Trump initially said it was “not a particularly secure building,” but later said the ballroom where the event was being held was not breached by the gunman and was “very, very secure.”

The checkpoint that the suspect tried to charge past was “right outside the ballroom,” authorities said.

“Because that checkpoint worked, there was no one who was injured,” Pirro said.

“We’ll go through video across the hotel to figure out how the gun got in, how it got down here,” Carroll added.

According to Trump, the security services did a “much better job than Butler,” where he was the target of an assassination attempt in 2024 during a campaign rally in the state of Pennsylvania. — AFP