White House dinner interrupted by shots

President Donald Trump was rushed offstage Saturday night after a gunman fired shots at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton. (usnews.com) (cnn.com) The gunfire erupted at about 8:35 p.m. Eastern time, when guests ducked under tables and Secret Service agents moved Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Cabinet officials out of the ballroom. (usnews.com) (abcnews.com) Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said a lone suspect charged a Secret Service checkpoint in the hotel lobby armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. (usnews.com) Carroll said law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the man, then tackled and handcuffed him. Bowser said one Secret Service agent was injured and taken to a local hospital. (usnews.com) ABC News and CBS News, citing law enforcement sources, identified the suspect as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. Officials said the motive had not been established early Sunday. (abcnews.com) (cbsnews.com) Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said late Saturday that the suspect was being charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. (usnews.com) Trump said in posts and later at the White House that the “shooter has been apprehended” and that he wanted the dinner rescheduled within 30 days. CBS reported he said the wounded agent was protected by a bulletproof vest. (usnews.com) (cbsnews.com) The White House Correspondents’ Association says the annual dinner is its main source of revenue, paying for scholarships, journalism programs and events built around the First Amendment and a free press. (whca.press) That made the interruption especially jarring: the event was supposed to bring reporters, public officials and guests together for a press-freedom fundraiser, and it ended with armed agents clearing the room. (whca.press) (cbsnews.com) By early Sunday, officials were describing the attack as the work of a lone suspect, with the investigation still active and the dinner postponed. (usnews.com)