What we know
• Motive under investigation: The suspected gunman who charged through a security checkpoint at last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner had shared writings that “clearly stated he wanted to target administration officials,” according to the White House. Investigators are reviewing the document after family members sent it to police minutes before the incident, sources said.
• How events unfolded: Trump and top officials were rushed to safety after shots were heard outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was underway. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the suspect “got off a few shots” before he was subdued by law enforcement near a staircase leading to the ballroom. Watch a timeline of the incident here.
• California man in custody: Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from California, sources said. FBI agents assembled overnight outside a home linked to Allen in a Los Angeles suburb.
WHCA board meeting to assess shooting incident and next steps
White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang said the WHCA board will be meeting to assess the shooting incident at the Washington Hilton Saturday night and will “determine how to proceed.”
“We will provide updates as soon as any are available,” Jiang said in a statement.
President Donald Trump said from the White House briefing room last night that he wanted to reschedule the White House Correspondents’ Dinner within the next 30 days. Jiang thanked the press in the room and emphasized the crux of the dinner: celebrating the First Amendment.
“Our dinner exists to celebrate the First Amendment and the hard daily work of the journalists who defend it. Last night, those journalists showed exactly the kind of calm and courage that work demands, jumping into reporting immediately after the incident unfolded. We are proud of everyone in that room,” Jiang said.
“Last night’s shooting at the Washington Hilton was a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance,” Jiang said in the statement, expressing deep gratitude for the actions of United States Secret Service and law enforcement, which she said “protected thousands of guests.”
“We are grateful everyone in attendance was unharmed, including the President, the First Lady, and the Vice President,” she added.
GOP lawmaker calls on Congress to end DHS shutdown after shooting
Republican Rep. Michael McCaul told CNN the shooting last night at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shows why the House needs to move to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
“This highlights the urgency” McCaul told CNN.
McCaul, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told CNN that law enforcement officials need to consider whether members of the presidential line of succession should all be present. He also said there should be a more secure perimeter if the event is held again.
Congressman describes how House majority leader pulled him to safety
Florida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz recounted Sunday how he was pulled to safety by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise when shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“I saw [the Secret Service] getting Steve, and so I popped up and said, ‘Steve, can I come with you?’ And he said to his detail, ‘He’s a member. Grab him,’” Moskowitz told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”
Moskowitz shared a photo of the moment on X, thanking Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, and referencing their pasts as survivors of political violence. Scalise was shot during a congressional baseball practice in 2017, and Moskowitz said in 2024 there was a potential plot on his life.
“I’m very thankful for Steve, for letting me come with him and putting me into the secure room,” Moskowitz told CNN on Sunday.
House committee asks for Secret Service briefing following shooting
The House Oversight Committee has requested a briefing with the Secret Service following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a committee spokesperson told CNN.
CNN has reached out to the Secret Service for comment.
Investigators find records of suspect's gun purchases, officials say
Law enforcement officials briefed on the frantic investigation into Cole Tomas Allen — whom sources have identified as the suspect in custody following Saturday’s shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner — say Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigators found records indicating on October 6, 2023, Allen purchased a .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol from a store in southern California.
On August 17, 2025, Allen bought a 12-gauge shotgun from another gun store in his hometown of Torrance, California.
The guns were purchased legally and in both cases required Allen to submit his information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System through the FBI to determine that he was not wanted, subject to a restraining order or a convicted felon.
In the process, he also had to complete an ATF form 4473 — or the Firearms Transaction Record — which was presented to the dealers in both stores and fed into the same system to determine whether they should proceed, delay or deny the purchase.
Under California law, Allen would have had to wait 10 days before he could pick up the handgun or the shotgun.
Mentalist describes coming face to face with Trump moments after shots were fired
Mentalist Oz Pearlman found himself on the ground, face to face with President Donald Trump moments after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where he was performing.
Pearlman was performing a trick for Trump, the first lady and the press secretary when the chaos broke out, he said. At first, he thought it could have been a bomb threat, Pearlman told CNN’s Dana Bash.
“I didn’t hear any shots or see what looked like a shooter. I thought there was about to be a bomb,” Pearlman said. “I really very much thought, ‘oh my god, it’s about to explode,’ because of the way that it was being approached. It wasn’t like, guns out. It was like to stop someone.”
Pearlman said he dropped to the ground, and Trump was taken to the ground by secret service less than a foot away. There, he found himself face to face with the president, he said.
“I’ll never forget the image for my whole life,” Pearlman said. He recalled wondering if they were about to die.
Then, Pearlman said he heard what sounded like gunshots. Trump was rushed away by Secret Service and Pearlman said he and other guests army-crawled out of the area.
“I don’t want to get hit. I thought there might be somebody still shooting,” Pearlman said.
In the chaotic moments that ensued backstage, Pearlman said he heard someone say that a person had been killed – which later proved to be untrue.
British ambassador to US "currently planning" on welcoming King Charles tomorrow
Earlier today, Buckingham Palace said the UK and US would be having conversations about security planning for King Charles’ planned state visit to the US this week, while President Donald Trump just recently acknowledged that the visit is still going ahead.
The British ambassador to the United States, Christian Turner, appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” a short while ago, where he said he is “currently planning to be welcoming Their Majesties tomorrow.”
The ambassador, who was at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last night, said that the way people responded to the shooting was a “success story.”
Suspect's manifesto referred to him as "The Friendly Federal Assassin," source says
The suspected gunman at last night’s White House Correspondents Dinner referred to himself as “The Friendly Federal Assassin” in a manifesto he shared with family members minutes before the incident, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.
The manifesto, which made clear the suspect wanted to target administration officials, also said the suspect specifically indicated he was not targeting law enforcement, the source added. A DC police official, though, said Saturday night that the suspect and law enforcement officers “exchanged gunfire.”
The New York Post was first to report on the manifesto, including the suspect’s referring to himself as “The Friendly Federal Assassin.”
Shooting took place at historic Washington Hilton hotel
The hotel where a gunman charged a security checkpoint last night has hosted numerous large events since it opened in 1965 – including the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The Washington Hilton, located a little more than a mile northwest of the White House, also regularly hosts the National Prayer Breakfast.
And during the 1960s and ’70s, the hotel’s cavernous ballroom was the venue for musical events, including concerts by The Doors and Jimi Hendrix.
In 1981, the hotel was the site of another violent attack: John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate then-president Ronald Reagan as he was leaving the hotel. Reagan survived but was seriously injured by a gunshot wound that punctured a lung and caused serious internal bleeding.
Reagan’s press secretary, James S. Brady, was shot in the head and left partially paralyzed after the attack.
Business as usual at the Washington Hilton hours after chaos unfolded
The Washington Hilton is open this morning after the area around the hotel was locked down last night.
Other than signs that were set up for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which ended in chaos after a gunman sprinted through a security checkpoint and exchanged fire with Secret Service agents, there are no real indications a shooting took place here last night.
It appears to be business as usual in the building, with guests checking out of their rooms and hanging out in the lobby.
The staff present here mostly came in this morning and told CNN they were not here for the incident last night.
CNN did not observe any heightened security or signs of investigators around the ballroom levels.
A woman who had been staying at the hotel for a law conference taking place on the same week as the correspondents’ dinner said she had gone out and then came into the hotel around the time the dinner’s attendees were arriving for the event.
Since she did not have a ticket for the dinner, she had to give her name when she returned last night so that hotel staff could confirm she had a room. She was able to stand in the lobby area for a bit and watch people arrive at the correspondents’ dinner.
More hotel guests told CNN they had been out to dinner and returned to the surrounding streets blocked off. They also had to give their names to security to be able to return to the hotel.
Some of those guests were staying on the 10th floor. They said when they went up to their room around 2 a.m. there was a very heavy security presence in the hallway.
Trump says King Charles' visit is still happening despite last night’s attack
President Donald Trump said that King Charles’ visit to Washington, DC, is still happening this week despite last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack.
Asked by Fox News about whether plans have changed given last night’s shooting, Trump said, “Yeah, that’s a good question. You’ve got a lot of little points in there. You’re doing a weave on me like I do all the time. That’s a big question.”
He went on to praise King Charles and said he’s looking forward to meeting with him.
“First of all, King Charles is coming, and he’s a great guy. We look forward to it. He’s really a fantastic person. And a tremendous representative. And he’s brave,” Trump said, referring to the King’s battle with cancer.
“He’s got a problem with, as you know, very well documented problem with his health, and he’s been amazing. Actually, he’s very brave actually,” Trump said.
“And he’s a friend of mine for a long time. So, he’s coming, and we’re going to have a great time. And he represents his nation like nobody else can do it,” the president said.
Suspected gunman's family told police of manifesto minutes before incident, White House says
The suspected gunman who charged through a security checkpoint at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner had written a manifesto that “clearly stated he wanted to target administration officials,” and he relayed the document to family members, who in turn relayed it to police, minutes before the incident, the White House tells CNN.
Cole Tomas Allen’s brother notified the New London Police Department in Connecticut of the alleged manifesto, which Allen had sent to his family members minutes before the incident Saturday night, the White House said. A White House official said Allen’s family then notified police, also minutes before the incident took place.
President Trump told Fox News on Sunday: “I heard about the New London situation, and I wish they would have told us about it a little bit, but it is what it is. We had a great group of people there last night. They were strong, and the Secret Service, I thought they were outstanding. They stopped him cold.”
The New London Police Department declined to comment but said it would provide a statement later today.
The White House said that US Secret Service and Montgomery County Police interviewed the suspect’s sister at the family’s residence in Rockville, Maryland, and she told them her brother had a tendency to make radical statements and his rhetoric referenced a plan to do “something.”
She also confirmed that Allen had purchased two handguns and a shotgun from CAP Tactical Firearms and kept them stored at their parent’s home, adding that their parents had not been aware that Allen was storing firearms there, according to the White House.
The sister told authorities that her brother regularly visited the shooting range to train with his firearms, and was part of a group named “The Wide Awakes.” She said her brother had previously attended a “No Kings” anti-Trump protest in California.
The White House said Allen’s social media accounts heavily reflected anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric.
Sneha Dhandapani contributed to this report.
Trump says it was "right thing" to leave Washington Hilton
While President Donald Trump wanted to continue with his speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after a gunman charged through the magnetometers, he said Sunday it was the “right thing” to leave, given US Secret Service protocol.
He added: “I really wanted to, but the protocol was no and, you know, once those doors were open, that room was sealed.”
Trump was adamant that he didn’t want to allow one bad actor to influence the entire evening – what he described as “an important event.”
“We can’t let these criminals and these really bad people change the course of events in our country,” Trump said.
If he were allowed to stay, Trump said he was going to give an entirely different speech from what he prepared.
“I was going to really rip it last night,” Trump said, adding his new remarks would have been “a speech of love.”
“But I didn’t get a chance to do that. Probably, I was better off if I didn’t,” he said.
Trump refers to alleged “manifesto” of suspect, says suspect “hates Christians”
President Donald Trump suggested that the alleged gunman at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner had a “manifesto” that included writing against Christians, adding that a family member of the suspect complained to law enforcement.
Trump, who spoke during an interview on Fox News this morning about the shooting, added the suspected gunman was “a very troubled guy.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also acknowledged in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” this morning that the suspect had “some writings.” Blanche said earlier that the suspect had appeared to target Trump administration officials but that the investigation into his motive was still preliminary.
“Well, they have some pretty good information,” Trump told Fox News of the state of the investigation into the suspect’s motive. “He had a lot of hatred in his heart for quite a while. … It was a religious thing, it was strongly anti-Christian. And I don’t know if you’ve gotten it, it just got released, the manifesto.”
Shooter's writings obtained by investigators indicate anti-Trump administration ideology, per source
Investigators have obtained writings from the shooter at last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, according to an official familiar with the matter. The writings indicate an anti-Trump administration ideology and rhetoric about administration officials.
Trump says he thinks Democrats may "loosen up" on DHS shutdown after shooting
President Donald Trump praised the “outstanding” response by the Secret Service and law enforcement, who stopped the suspected gunman “cold” at last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The president called on Democrats in Congress to vote to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
“And the Secret Service and all law enforcement was, I thought they were outstanding, you know? You can always-they can nitpick and at everything else, but they were outstanding,” the president told Fox News.
Trump added, “They stopped him cold. And there was no games being played, that I can tell you … These were strong, solid people who’ve got to get paid. You know, this is a group that is not being paid.”
He blamed Democrats for “holding up their pay” and said, “I think maybe they’ll loosen up a little bit now because I thought, I thought great talent was displayed last night. Bravery but talent.”
DHS has been shut down since mid-February amid a standoff between Democrats and Republicans.
As CNN has previously reported, the Trump administration used funds from the “big, beautiful bill” to pay immigration agents as well as Secret Service and some Coast Guard personnel amid the partial shutdown.
Trump says it was a "very sad evening" but he is doing "fine" after WHCD shooting incident
President Donald Trump said he and First Lady Melania Trump are doing fine after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, highlighting unity across party lines after the turn of events.
Trump noted he received support and waves from Democrats leaving the Washington Hilton.
“The place was just coming together,” Trump said. “Was very nice to see, actually.”
Leavitt says WHCD "hijacked" by gunman "who sought to assassinate the President"
Reflecting on the turn of events at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the evening “was hijacked by a depraved crazy person who sought to assassinate the President and kill as many top Trump administration officials as possible.”
“What was supposed to be a fun night at the @WHCA dinner with President Trump delivering jokes and celebrating free speech was hijacked by a depraved crazy person who sought to assassinate the President and kill as many top Trump administration officials as possible,” Leavitt said.
“I was with President Trump and the First Lady back stage after we were quickly ushered to safety by Secret Service. President Trump was truly fearless, but as he said last night, this political violence needs to end,” she added.
While acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN the suspected gunman appeared to be targeting Trump administration officials, law enforcement are still working to determine a motive. Blanche also told NBC’s Meet the Press that they are “still looking into” whether the suspect was targeting Trump or administration officials.
“We know that there were some writings and we’ve already spoken with several witnesses who knew him,” Blanche said Sunday. “We do believe it was administration officials; obviously President Trump is a member of the administration, the head of it, but as far as exacting threats that may have been communicated beforehand, we are still, we’re still actively investigating that evidence.”
Leavitt, who is expecting her second child, quickly returned from maternity leave after the birth of her first child when President Trump was shot in an attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, on the 2024 campaign trail.
She also thanked law enforcement for keeping everyone safe “including the brave agent who took a bullet to the chest and immediately moved to neutralize the shooter.”
What last night was like, from a journalist who covered the Butler assassination attempt
It happened again. Nearly two years after hitting the ground while gunfire rang out in Butler, Pennsylvania, I found myself dropping to the floor of the Washington, DC, ballroom where the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was held, once again only yards away from President Donald Trump as bullets were fired.
The venue was different. This time, thousands of Washington’s elite huddled under dinner tables in their finest attire as the chaos unfolded. In Butler, there were hundreds of Trump supporters, donning denim shorts and MAGA tees, crouching down in alarm in the grass — or for journalists like me, hiding by the risers with my television crew — as bullets flew overhead.
But the feeling was the same: confusion, panic, fear, and a lot of unanswered questions.
Last night I thought to myself, “This can’t be happening again. Surely, that wasn’t gunshots.”
Then we saw law enforcement rush into the room, ushering the president and Vice President JD Vance off the stage while others grabbed Cabinet officials from their tables.
Thankfully, the shooting at the Washington Hilton resulted in no deaths, unlike in Butler where one of the bullets killed Trump supporter and father Corey Comperatore.
Major questions remain regarding how the gunman was able to get inside the hotel, where the most powerful people in the country were gathered, albeit one level up from the president. There were similar questions about security following the assassination attempt Butler, with one more glaring than the rest: how could this happen?
Here are the morning's key headlines so far as investigation unfolds
The investigation into last night’s attack at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner continues today, as we learn more about the suspected gunman and how the evening unfolded.
If you’re just joining us, here are the latest headlines from this morning:
- The suspect, who sources say has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, appeared to be targeting members of the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”
- The suspect “got off a couple shots” but was “immediately subdued,” Blanche said.
- FBI agents have been seen leaving the scene outside a home linked to Allen in Torrance, California, which is a Los Angeles suburb.
- The suspected gunman bought his two firearms legally in 2023 and 2025, a law enforcement official said. The official said the suspect was not on their radar before the shooting.
- Mentalist Oz Pearlman was performing for President Donald Trump, the first lady and the press secretary when chaos erupted. Pearlman said he heard what sounded like gunshots and then Secret Service rushed Trump away as guests ducked to the floor and crawled out of the area.
- Trump reiterated his case for constructing a ballroom at the White House, arguing the attack “would never have happened” with the planned security measures he intends to include. He’s been joined in that call by a growing number of Republicans, as well as Democratic Sen. John Fetterman.
- Republican Rep. Mike Lawler told CNN he thought security at the dinner was inadequate. Lawler also called for fully funding the Department of Homeland Security to help address potential threats.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said people should never resort to violence over their disagreements in an interview on “Fox News Sunday” with Shannon Bream.
- Meanwhile, planned post-White House Correspondents’ Dinner media gatherings pressed on despite the attack, including this morning’s brunch events. One organization said they are enhancing security measures.
Watch a timeline of how last night unfolded:
CNN’s Chris Lau, Catherine Nicholls, Lauren Chadwick, Evan Perez, Lauren Chadwick, Riane Lumer, Brian Stelter and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.
