0
Gunman targeted White House Correspondents’ Dinner attended by Donald Trump
April 27, 2026
Posted 5 hours ago by
Investigators in the United States are working to understand why a gunman attempted to storm the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., an event attended by President Donald Trump and senior officials on Saturday. The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, allegedly ran through a security perimeter before being confronted by Secret Service agents.
Gunfire was reported inside the packed venue as chaos unfolded. Footage shows officials, including Vice President JD Vance, being rushed from the stage, while security teams moved to evacuate President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. Authorities have since searched the suspect’s home in California for evidence, including a possible manifesto referenced by the President. However, key questions remain about motive and planning. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner—typically a celebration of press freedom and political life—was abruptly disrupted as top officials were forced into emergency evacuation. Al Jazeera's Patty Culhan reports Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X : https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile
Al Jazeera English
Coverage and analysis from Qatar. All insights are generated by our AI narrative analysis engine.