WHCA dinner shooting live updates: Suspect planned to target multiple people
WHCA dinner shooting live updates: Suspect planned to target multiple people
CHRISTOPHER WATSON and KEVIN SHALVEYSun, April 26, 2026 at 3:55 PM UTC
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President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and other dignitaries are safe after a shooting incident outside the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner Saturday night at the Washington, D.C., Hilton hotel.
The incident took place near the main magnetometer screening area at the event, according to the Secret Service. A suspect, whom law enforcement authorities identified as Cole Allen of Torrance, California, is in custody, officials said.
A Secret Service agent who was wearing an armored vest was struck in the chest, President Trump said at a press briefing following the incident. The Secret Service agent suffered non life-threatening injuries, according to the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department. No one else was injured in the incident.
A motive for the attack was not immediately known.
Latest Developments
Apr 26, 11:54 AMHandwritten notes found in hotel room of WHCA dinner shooting suspect, per law enforcement sources
Handwritten notes found in the hotel room of the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting Saturday appear to have been left with the intent that officials would find them, according to multiple law enforcement sources.Sources tell ABC News that the suspect, Cole Allen, allegedly made brief statements to law enforcement officials after his arrest that he was focusing on Trump administration officials, and that he allegedly indicated that authorities would be able to find his thoughts in written form.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social - PHOTO: Law enforcement detains a suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, in Washington, April 25, 2026.
Sources say early evidence suggests that Allen's plans were to target as many people as possible in a mass shooting.According to law enforcement sources, the alleged writings expressed a distaste for the Trump administration and also for Washington, D.C., elites.Other similar writings were found in Allen's California home, sources told ABC News.-ABC News' Jack Date, Pierre Thomas, Luke Barr, Aaron Katersky, Josh Margolin, and Katherine Faulders
Apr 26, 9:34 AM'The system worked,' Acting Attorney General Blanche says
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that "the system worked" and kept President Donald Trump and other leaders safe from the shooting Saturday night at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner that they were attending."The system worked; law enforcement and the Secret Service protected all of us. The man barely got past the perimeter. And so when you have a perimeter designed to keep people safe, like President Trump, and it works – that's something that should be applauded," Blanche told "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos.
ABC News - PHOTO: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears on ABC News' "This Week" on April 26, 2026.
Blanche said the suspect, whom law enforcement has identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen from Torrance, Calif., was likely acting alone, although investigations are ongoing.
"We believe that he traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then Chicago to Washington, D.C.," Blanche said.Asked how the suspect may have gotten a firearm into the hotel, Blanche replied, "It's a good question. And listen, I'm not sure. It appears that he checked in on the 24th [of April] to the hotel, and we're still looking at video surveillance and footage of where he walked and how he got in and how those firearms got in, but at the end of the day, I expect we'll have a lot more about that in the coming days."
-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim
Apr 26, 8:31 AMSuspect Cole Allen held by DC police ahead of Monday court appearance
Cole Thomas Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting, is being held in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department's Third District after being released from an area hospital overnight, according to law enforcement sources.Allen is expected to appear in court on Monday.A Secret Service Uniformed Division officer was also treated and released overnight from a different area hospital, according to sources.-ABC News' Jack Date
Apr 26, 7:56 AMKing Charles reaches out to Trump after WHCA incident, royal source says
Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla reached out to President Donald Trump following the incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, according to a royal source."Their Majesties have reached out privately to The President and First Lady to express their sympathies with all those affected on the night and their gratitude to the security services who prevented further injury," a royal source told ABC News.
Jane Barlow via Reuters - PHOTO: Britain's King Charles looks on as he meets with frontline workers at Dumfries House, Ayrshire.
The king and queen are scheduled to arrive on Monday in Washington, where they’ll be hosted by Trump and first lady Melania Trump for a state visit, according to the White House.ABC News' Zoe Magee
Apr 26, 6:23 AMWorld leaders begin expressing solidarity after WHCA incident
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International leaders expressed their shock and pledged their solidarity with the White House early on Sunday, after a suspect allegedly exchanged gunfire with authorities outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner."I am shocked by the scenes at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington overnight," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. "Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms."He added that it was a "huge relief" that both Trump and first lady Melania Trump, along with the other attendees, were safe after the event.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters - PHOTO: President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, April 25, 2026.
The suspect’s alleged actions were condemned by members of the governments of Kuwait, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and a host of other countries.French President Emmanuel Macron decried the incident, saying, "The armed attack targeting the President of the United States last night is unacceptable. Violence has no place in a democracy. I extend my full support to Donald Trump.""No political hatred can find space in our democracies," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said. "We will not allow fanaticism to poison the places of free debate and information. The defense of the culture of confrontation must remain the insurmountable bulwark against every intolerant drift, to safeguard the values that found our Nations."
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters - PHOTO: President Donald Trump and First Lady arrive for a press briefing at the White House, following a shooting incident during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, in Washington, April 25, 2026.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office that he was "shocked" by the event, but glad the president and first lady "were safe and strong.""We send our wishes for a full and speedy recovery to the wounded police officer and salute the US Secret Service for their swift and decisive action," Netanyahu said, according to his office.Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, sent Trump a cable after the incident, according to his office."And President Aoun expressed in his cable full solidarity with President Trump in the face of such regrettable events that target security and stability, affirming his strong condemnation of acts of violence in all their forms, and wishing that the United States of America enjoys security and safety," Aoun’s office said.
Apr 26, 2:56 AMWHCA dinner brings back memories of Butler shooting, White House deputy chief of staff says
The chaos that erupted at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner after a suspect charged a security checkpoint brought back memories of the shooting at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a White House deputy chief of staff said early on Sunday.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images - PHOTO: Dan Scavino jumps over a chair after an incident at the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner, April 25, 2026 in Washington.
"Never thought I’d be hitting the ground again after Butler, Pennsylvania, as a result of shots being fired," Dan Scavino Jr., the deputy, said on social media. "Brings back a lot of terrible memories -- I am so thankful that everyone in attendance tonight is okay. We’re all in this together, stay strong!"
A gunman fired a barrage of shots at then-candidate Donald Trump in an apparent assassination attempt at a campaign rally in the Pennsylvania city in July 2024.
Apr 26, 2:34 AMLaw enforcement gathers near address in Torrance, California
Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and members of a SWAT team, were gathering late on Saturday near an address in Torrance, California, thought to be associated with the suspect.
Daniel Cole/Reuters - PHOTO: An armed FBI agent stands outside the residence associated with Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the shooting incident at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., in Torrance, California, U.S., April 25, 2026.
Authorities earlier identified Cole Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner incident, as a resident of Torrance, a city southwest of Los Angeles.
Apr 26, 2:16 AMSecret Service 'performed admirably,' director says
The director of the Secret Service praised his staff's response during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner incident, saying they "performed admirably.""Tonight we saw exactly what our brave men and women do each and every day to protect our protectees," Director Sean M. Curran said in a statement released by the service. "It’s not easy and I will tell you that they performed admirably. We got to see what they do."
Tom Brenner/AP - PHOTO: Secret service agents respond during the White House Correspondents Dinner, April 25, 2026, in Washington.
The suspect's apprehension at a checkpoint "shows that our multi-layered protection works," he said, adding, "And I’m grateful to our partners that help assist us with building these sites and protecting these sites."Deputy Director Matthew Quinn also released a statement, saying that "a coward attempted to create a national tragedy.""He underestimated the protective capabilites of the U.S. Secret Service, and was stopped at first contact," Quinn added. "The strength of our layered security posture was evident, with a myriad of countermeasures still ahead. Grateful for the brave men and women of the Secret Service and our valued Law Enforecment partners."
Apr 26, 12:30 AMShooting suspect identified as Cole Allen, according to authorities
The suspect in the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner shooting has been identified as Cole Allen from Torrance, California, according to authorities. According to law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation, the suspect is believed to have booked a room in the Hilton in early April. He is declining to answer questions but allegedly made some reference to targeting administration officials but was not specific, the officials said. He mentioned that he is a tutor in California, according to officials. -ABC News' Pierre Thomas, Luke Barr, Katherine Faulders and Josh Margolin
Apr 26, 12:30 AMShooting suspect armed with shotgun, handgun, knives
The suspect in the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents Association dinner Saturday night was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, officials said at a press briefing late Saturday night.At approximately 8:36 p.m. ET, the suspect charged a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint at the Hilton hotel, where the event was taking place, and exchanged gunfire with law enforcement, according to Jeff Carroll, Interim Chief of Police for Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social - PHOTO: Law enforcement detains a suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, in Washington, April 25, 2026.
A U.S. Secret Service Uniform Division officer was struck in his vest and was transported to local hospital for treatment, officials said.The suspect, who was not struck by gunfire, was transported to a local hospital to be evaluated, according to officials.U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro confirmed at the press briefing that the suspect, who has not yet been publicly identified, was "being charged with two counts: 924C, using a firearm during a crime of violence, and a second crime under 111, which is assault on a Federal officer, using a dangerous weapon."Pirro also confirmed that a uniformed Secret Service agent was shot but would be “fine.”-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr and Lauren Minore
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