Overview
- Gunfire outside the Washington Hilton on Saturday forced Secret Service to evacuate President Donald Trump and the First Lady from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
- The suspect was arrested at the scene with a rifle, a handgun, and knives, and a Secret Service officer was struck but protected by a ballistic vest.
- Federal prosecutors on Sunday filed initial counts for using a firearm during a violent crime and assaulting a federal employee with a dangerous weapon, and they expect a first federal court appearance on Monday.
- Investigators say evidence includes a long written note and social‑media posts that point to a political motive, with an Associated Press–reviewed message sent to family minutes before the attack.
- The episode has renewed scrutiny of security at open hotel venues and of interagency coordination, with criticism of FBI Director Kash Patel’s conduct and fresh warnings that online radicalization makes lone‑actor threats harder to detect.