US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania were evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday evening after the event was interrupted by loud gunshots.
The FBI has confirmed that a suspect is in custody after the event honouring the White House press corps was disrupted. Reports suggest the sound of the shots came from outside the ballroom where the dinner was taking place, prompting journalists to duck for cover and Secret Service agents to quickly rush the President, his wife, Vice President J.D. Vance and other cabinet members to safety.
In a statement, the Secret Service said that, alongside the Metropolitan Police, they were investigating a shooting that took place near the main magnetometer screening area at the event.
In a press briefing, Mayor of Washington DC Muriel Bowser later said the suspect had rushed the Secret Service checkpoint and officers had subdued him. Authorities have confirmed that the person in custody is a 31‑year‑old male from California.
The suspect was carrying a shotgun, a pistol and knives. One officer was struck in a bullet‑resistant vest and is expected to make a full recovery. Authorities said it appeared the suspect was a lone gunman and not linked to any wider concern.
In a press briefing at the White House later in the evening, President Trump said the suspect was a “sick person” and that the venue for the dinner was not “a particularly secure building”.
“That was very unexpected but incredibly acted upon by Secret Service and law enforcement, and this was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press,” he said. “And in a certain way, it did, because the fact that they just unified. I saw a room that was just totally unified.”
The annual event, which first began in 1921, is usually held each year. Since the early 1980s the dinner has featured comedians and has typically taken the form of a comedy roast of the current administration. This year’s event was the first time President Trump had attended, having passed on last year’s dinner and all those held during his first term in office.
Authorities have confirmed that the person in custody is a 31‑year‑old male from California. One officer was struck in a bullet‑resistant vest and is expected to make a full recovery.
Authorities said they would release the man’s name in due course when more investigations had been completed. They believe he had been checked in as a guest at the hotel.
