Overview
- During Saturday night’s gala at the Washington Hilton, gunfire near the security screening area halted the event as agents rushed President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance out through separate routes and a Secret Service agent survived a round thanks to a ballistic vest.
- Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, was identified as the suspect and taken into custody after being wounded, and authorities say he was staying as a guest at the hotel hosting the dinner.
- Officials say Allen carried a shotgun, a handgun, and knives, and witnesses inside the ballroom of roughly 2,600 attendees described a sudden panic as people ducked under tables before the dinner was canceled and later promised to be rescheduled within 30 days.
- U.S. interim prosecutor Todd Blanche said investigators believe the attacker set out to strike members of the administration, likely acted alone, left writings now under review, and traveled from California to Chicago and then to Washington; prosecutors said he will be charged Monday in Washington.
- The FBI, Washington police, and the Secret Service are examining how an armed guest reached the screening zone at a high‑security event, with the probe focused on the suspect’s planning, possible accomplices, and any security lapses at the venue.