Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, and said he was armed with multiple weapons before being stopped by Secret Service personnel near the event’s main security perimeter.

One law enforcement officer was struck in a bullet-resistant vest and is expected to recover, according to officials cited by The Associated Press.Addressing reporters later at the White House, Trump said the suspect had been carrying several weapons and described the officer’s survival as the result of close-range protective gear performance.

“He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job,” Trump said.The incident unfolded just as Trump was preparing to deliver remarks at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, his first attendance at the annual event as president.

Guests inside the subterranean ballroom reported hearing between five and eight shots before Secret Service agents rushed toward the president.Witnesses said agents surrounded Trump onstage as guests ducked beneath tables and shouted warnings echoed through the hall.

During the evacuation, Trump briefly stumbled and was helped to his feet by security personnel before being escorted out.The banquet hall, filled with journalists, political leaders and public figures, was immediately placed under lockdown. National Guard personnel and law enforcement officers secured exits while helicopters circled overhead and surrounding streets were sealed off.

Among those evacuated were Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and House Speaker Mike Johnson.Johnson later said he and his wife were “praying for our country tonight,” while House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said “The violence and chaos in America must end.”

Republican Representative Mike Lawler of New York, who attended the dinner, said the uncertainty in the room escalated quickly after the first loud noise.“We didn’t know what the hell it was,” Lawler said, adding that threats against public officials have become increasingly common.

The event briefly appeared likely to resume as staff reset tables, refilled water glasses and prepared Trump’s teleprompter. However, White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang later announced the dinner would be canceled and rescheduled.“We will do this again,” Jiang told attendees.

The annual dinner, traditionally attended by presidents, journalists, lawmakers and celebrities, has long served as one of Washington’s most visible intersections of politics and media. Trump had not attended during his first term or the first year of his second term, making Saturday’s appearance particularly notable given his administration’s strained relationship with the press.

In recent months, Trump’s administration has clashed repeatedly with major media organizations including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press, while facing criticism over restrictions on press access and legal disputes involving journalists.

Ahead of the dinner, nearly 500 retired journalists signed a petition urging the correspondents’ association to take a stronger stand against what they described as threats to press freedom.Outside the hotel, a small group of protesters gathered before the event, some carrying signs criticizing the administration’s treatment of the media.

Authorities have not yet released further details about the suspect’s motive or how he reached the security perimeter of one of Washington’s most heavily protected political events.