Service Good afternoon everyone. Later today, President Trump and the First Lady will welcome King Charles and Queen Camilla for *** state visit here at the White House. First Lady Melania Trump has led all of the preparation for the state visit, which will honor the long-standing and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. As I told many of you on Friday afternoon, I thought that would be my last time taking your questions until after my maternity leave. But given the attempted assassination of the president and top Trump administration officials, as the depraved shooter noted in his manifesto at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday evening. I felt it was prudent to be here today to answer your questions and inform the American people about how the administration is responding to yet another attempt on President Trump's life.
Map shows how close the shooter got to White House Correspondents’ Association dinner
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Updated: 6:14 PM EDT Apr 27, 2026
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A man was apprehended just outside the ballroom where the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner takes place after running past security and firing shots Saturday.Cole Tomas Allen was charged with attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.The White House Correspondents' Association dinner is an annual event to celebrate press freedom. It is regularly attended by about 2,500 guests. It takes place at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.During live streams of the event, five bangs can be heard as the footage zooms in on WHCA president Weijia Jiang, Trump, Melania Trump and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt interacting with mentalist and host Oz Pearlman at around 8:34 p.m.Dishes can be heard clattering, and about 10 seconds after the first bang, secret service run towards Trump on stage.Outside the ballroom, Allen had run past the security checkpoint for the main entrance. The checkpoint is on the terrace level, and guests immediately must make their way down stairs to enter the ballroom.Allen was apprehended at the top of the staircase heading down to the ballroom.The Get the Facts Data Team visualized some of the floor plans of the Washington Hilton, showing where Allen ran past the security checkpoint and was apprehended in relation to the ballroom.
WASHINGTON — A man was apprehended just outside the ballroom where the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner takes place after running past security and firing shots Saturday.
Cole Tomas Allen was charged with attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.
The White House Correspondents' Association dinner is an annual event to celebrate press freedom. It is regularly attended by about 2,500 guests. It takes place at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.
During live streams of the event, five bangs can be heard as the footage zooms in on WHCA president Weijia Jiang, Trump, Melania Trump and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt interacting with mentalist and host Oz Pearlman at around 8:34 p.m.
Dishes can be heard clattering, and about 10 seconds after the first bang, secret service run towards Trump on stage.
Outside the ballroom, Allen had run past the security checkpoint for the main entrance. The checkpoint is on the terrace level, and guests immediately must make their way down stairs to enter the ballroom.
Allen was apprehended at the top of the staircase heading down to the ballroom.
The Get the Facts Data Team visualized some of the floor plans of the Washington Hilton, showing where Allen ran past the security checkpoint and was apprehended in relation to the ballroom.
