Gunman Rushes Security at Correspondents’ Dinner; Trump Unharmed

Shots were fired at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night as a man armed with guns and knives tried to rush a security checkpoint near the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, forcing the evacuation of President Trump, CBS News and the Associated Press reported. Mr. Trump and first lady Melania Trump were taken off the stage unharmed.

The evacuation began shortly after 8:30 p.m. Eastern, as guests ducked under tables, CBS News reported. A Secret Service officer was hit by a round but was protected by a bulletproof vest and was unhurt, Mr. Trump said. “The vest did the job,” the president told reporters. He said the officer was in good spirits.

The suspect, identified by law enforcement sources as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was arrested at the scene and taken to a hospital for evaluation, CBS News reported; the AP said he was tackled to the ground. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the investigation is ongoing and that charges will be filed, CBS News reported. The AP reported that the man traveled by train from California to Chicago and then to Washington and checked in as a guest at the hotel days earlier. He is believed to have acted alone and is set to face charges Monday, the AP said.

Authorities increasingly believe the attack was politically motivated, the AP reported, citing writings the suspect sent to family members shortly before the shooting and anti-Trump social media posts. According to the AP, the family writings criticized administration policies, including U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats. CBS News, citing two sources, reported that the suspect told law enforcement he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials without specifying the president. The AP said police in New London, Connecticut, said they were contacted about two hours after the shooting by a relative who received the writings.

Mr. Trump spoke at a hastily arranged White House news conference later that night. “It’s a dangerous profession,” he said when asked about threats to his life, adding that “no country is immune” to political violence. He said he had “heard a noise” and at first thought it was a tray falling. He said the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days, CBS News reported. The AP described the episode as the third attempt on his life in less than two years and said he struck an unusually conciliatory tone. “We have to resolve our differences,” he said, and he praised a room where he saw “a tremendous amount of love and coming together.”

The AP also reported that Mr. Trump said he had planned to “really rip” the media in his remarks but that after the incident he wanted to deliver “a speech of love.”

The correspondents’ association, not the White House, runs the annual dinner, the AP noted.