Washington, United States. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night after a man opened fire with a shotgun on security personnel, officials said.
Shots reported at Washington Hilton
At around 8:35 p.m. ET, guests at the Washington Hilton dinner took cover when shots were heard, video footage showed. Soon after, Secret Service agents rushed towards Trump, escorting the president and his cabinet from the ballroom.
Officials say agent protected by vest
The armed man fired at a Secret Service agent, an FBI official told Reuters. About two hours after the incident, Trump told reporters at the White House that the officer was saved by his bulletproof vest and was in “good shape”.
Suspect arrested; federal officials reported safe
The suspect has been arrested, Trump said, describing him as a “sick person.” Officials said all federal officials at the dinner, including Trump, were safe.
Checkpoint incident described by Trump and city officials
“A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service,” Trump said at a White House press conference after the incident. Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll later told reporters that a sole gunman had rushed a Secret Service checkpoint in a lobby.
Weapons and footage details
Carroll said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. Trump said the incident occurred about 50 yards away from the room, and the gala dinner was canceled. Closed-circuit TV footage released by Trump on Truth Social showed someone running rapidly through a security checkpoint, briefly catching security personnel off-guard before they drew their weapons.
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