The shooter at the White House press luncheon had several weapons and an officer fired

A man armed with multiple weapons stormed a security checkpoint White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday evening before he was “shot down” by U.S. Secret Service agents, President Donald Trump said hours after he was evacuated from the event.

One officer was shot, but he was “saved by the fact that he was obviously wearing a very good bulletproof vest,” Trump told reporters during a news conference in the White House briefing room.

“I just talked to the officer and he’s doing great,” Trump said.

The suspected shooter was identified later Saturday as Cole Allen of Torrance, California, a former senior law enforcement official with knowledge of the matter told MS NOW. The suspect was 31 years old, the Associated Press reported, citing two police officers.

Trump was thrown from the stage of the Washington Hilton Hotel ballroom, seconds after the shots sent attendees flying under their tables.

He said he “fought like hell” to stay at the dinner where he was scheduled to speak for the first time as president, but police asked him and other administration officials to leave the premises.

In front of the press, Trump apparently shared pictures via his Truth Social account show the alleged one Protect after he was subdued, as well Security footage of the incident.

First lady Melania Trump and all other Cabinet members of his administration in attendance “are in good standing,” the president wrote in a separate post after leaving the event.

He added: “I have spoken to all representatives responsible for the event and we will set a new date within 30 days.”

At the White House, Trump praised the Secret Service and law enforcement agencies for their quick action.

“This was an event dedicated to free speech and intended to bring together members of both parties with members of the press,” Trump said. “And in a way it was, because the fact that they just came together, I saw a space that was completely unified. In a way, it was very beautiful.”

A source who attended the event and was briefed by Secret Service after the shooting told CNBC’s Eamon Javers that a man with a shotgun approached metal detectors and was shot by Secret Service agents.

He was then led away in handcuffs, the source said.

Important details of the incident remain unclear. U.S. Attorney for Washington Jeanine Pirro said at a separate news conference later Saturday evening that the suspect would be arraigned on Monday.

At least five shots were heard around 8:35 p.m. The shots rang out from the back of the ballroom as attendees ate their first course, a few minutes after Weija Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, delivered his remarks.

Trump, sitting next to the first lady on a stage at the front of the ballroom, was quickly surrounded by members of the U.S. Secret Service while many in attendance ducked under their tables.

A video of the event shows the president being led off the stage a few seconds later as armed guards wearing tactical gear and carrying large rifles appear at the podium.

Numerous other senior Trump administration officials were present at the event, including the vice president JD VanceFBI Director Kash Patel and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Asked at the White House whether he believed he was the suspect’s target, Trump said: “I suspect.” He said information about the suspected shooter’s motives would be released in the coming days.

“They know he’s in custody and they’re asking him a lot of questions,” Trump said.

Trump survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024. A few months later, a man attempted to assassinate Trump while he was playing golf at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.

— CNBC’s Eamon Javers And Megan Cassella contributed to this report.