Shooting at the Washington Press Gala: Trump Reveals Details of the Attack
Gunfire Erupts at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Prompting Urgent Evacuation of President Trump
American President Donald Trump reported that the person who opened fire during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton, which the president attended on Saturday night, was armed with "multiple weapons."
The suspect "stormed a security checkpoint, armed with several firearms. He was neutralized by a few very brave members of the Secret Service, who acted very quickly," the president explained during a press conference at the White House approximately two hours after the incident.
Trump was urgently evacuated from the gala by Secret Service agents responsible for the president’s security. According to him, a Secret Service agent was shot during the incident but survived due to his bulletproof vest.
The suspect, a 42-year-old man from California, was arrested on the scene. The president indicated that the ongoing investigation could result in "multiple charges," adding that the FBI and other federal agencies were fully mobilized.
Referring to the alleged attacker as a "lone wolf," the occupant of the White House stated, "I feel like this was a crazed lone wolf. These are madmen, and we need to deal with them."
When asked if there might be a connection to the conflict with Iran, he replied that he did not believe so at this stage, while emphasizing that the investigation must provide additional details.
Shortly before this press conference, the president shared footage from the hotel’s surveillance cameras on his Truth Social network, showing an individual rushing through the metal detector at the entrance to the ballroom where the gala was held, with several law enforcement officers drawing their weapons.
The incident led to the urgent evacuation of the American president and guests following the gunfire outside the ballroom where the event was taking place.
According to the New York Times, there was a disturbance observed about five minutes before the official start of the dinner at the back of the ballroom, prompting security teams to intervene immediately around the president.
The gala program was canceled by the organizers, who asked participants to leave the venue. However, President Trump promised that he intends to reschedule the event with the organizers within a month.
Many journalists and distinguished guests were present at this annual event initiated by the White House Correspondents’ Association. Notable attendees included Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and FBI Director Kash Patel.
