Trump evacuated after WHCD shooting

President Donald Trump was rushed off the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner stage Saturday night after gunfire erupted near a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton. (nbcnews.com) (politico.com) Trump later said a man “charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons,” and law enforcement took him into custody alive. NBC News and CBS News reported the suspect was identified by officials as Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. (nbcnews.com) (cbsnews.com) Jeffery Carroll, the interim chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, said the suspect had a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. Carroll said the man charged the checkpoint with a firearm in his hand and appeared to be a lone gunman. (nbcnews.com) (politico.com) One Secret Service officer was struck in the chest, but Trump said the officer was protected by a bullet-resistant vest and was “doing great.” CBS News reported the officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries. (nbcnews.com) (cbsnews.com) The White House Correspondents’ Association canceled the dinner after the shooting. Weijia Jiang, the association’s president, told guests the program would not continue, and Trump later said he wanted the event rescheduled within 30 days. (deadline.com) (abcnews.com) The disruption hit one of Washington’s most visible annual political-media events. Politico reported this was Trump’s first appearance at the correspondents’ dinner as president, and the ballroom was turned into a crime scene as Cabinet officials and journalists took cover. (politico.com) (abcnews.com) At a late-night White House briefing, Trump praised the Secret Service response and said the suspect “hadn’t come anywhere close to breach the doors of the room.” He also urged Americans to reject political violence. (cbsnews.com) (abcnews.com) Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said the suspect is expected to be arraigned Monday on two federal counts: assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Officials said the investigation into motive was still underway. (nbcnews.com) (politico.com) By the end of the night, Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance had been evacuated safely, the suspect was hospitalized in custody, and the annual dinner had been called off. (abcnews.com) (deadline.com)