The suspect who stormed through a security checkpoint and shot a Secret Service agent at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington DC was armed with multiple weapons and knives, police say.
Mr Trump, first lady Melania and senior officials were quickly evacuated to safety from the annual event after several gunshots were heard outside the Washington Hilton Hotel ballroom where around 2,500 people were in attendance.
The suspect has been identified as a man in his early 30s from California, two law enforcement officials have told Sky News’ US partner network NBC.
Officials have said he has no criminal record and was not on the radar of law enforcement.
Follow live – Gunfire shots at correspondents’ dinner attended by President Trump
Police have said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.
Jeffrey Carroll, interim chief of police for the Metropolitan Police Department, said the suspect was involved in an altercation as he tried to get into the event.
The suspect exchanged shots with an officer who was struck but was unharmed because he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
He was “tackled to the ground” and handcuffed by law enforcement before being apprehended, Mr Carroll added.
Officials believe the suspect was acting alone, but his motive is unclear.
Speaking at a news conference after the incident, President Trump said he may have been the suspected gunman’s target.
Earlier, Mr Trump uploaded a photo to his Truth Social platform claiming to show the alleged gunman being apprehended.
He described the suspect as a “lone wolf whack job” from California.
Police believe the suspect was a guest at the Washington Hilton Hotel where the correspondents’ dinner was being held.
“We do believe he was a guest here at the hotel. We have secured a room here in the hotel, and again, we’ll go through the appropriate procedures to determine what was inside there,” Mr Carroll said.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro has confirmed the suspect has been charged with firearms and assault charges.
Saturday evening was the first time that Mr Trump has attended the correspondents’ dinner as president.
He was the subject of two assassination attempts in 2024, after he left the White House in 2021 and while he was campaigning for reelection.
The most serious occurred while Mr Trump was campaigning at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024.
Mr Trump was shot and wounded in his upper ear by a 20-year-old gunman. The gunman was shot dead by security personnel.
Just over two months after the Butler shooting, Secret Service agents spotted a man wielding a gun and hiding in bushes at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Mr Trump was on the course.
It was deemed an assassination attempt and the suspect was sentenced to life in prison in February.
The site of Saturday’s dinner, the Washington Hilton, was the scene of an attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan, who was shot and wounded by a would-be assassin outside the hotel in 1981.
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