Trump's Assassination Attempt Crime Scene Photos Revealed — See The Chilling Moments From 'Traumatic' Incident Including Alleged Gunman Being Tackled and Prez's Face as Shots First Rang Out
President Trump's White House Correspondents' Dinner turned into a nightmare in a flash.
April 27 2026, Updated 7:00 p.m. ET
What started as a lighthearted dinner event celebrating the work of journalists in Washington quickly became a story all of its own when shots rang out at the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner.
President Trump, who was attending the first Correspondents' Dinner of his presidency, was whisked away, as the chaos inside the Washington Hilton ballroom unfolded, RadarOnline.com can report.
Calm Before the Storm
President Trump and First Lady Melania stood for the national anthem.
Guests were just sitting down for their meal when shots rang out.
The event took place in the International Ballroom of the Washington Hilton, starting at 8 pm on Saturday, April 25. At 8:15, the president and first lady Melania arrived, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance and press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The pomp and circumstance began with the guests rising for the national anthem. Trump could be seen saluting the flag at the head table on stage.
As guests settled down and began munching on their salads, they had no idea just a few yards away, an alleged gunman named Cole Tomas Allan was hurdling past a metal detector, armed with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol, and three knives.
Correspondents' Dinner Interrupted By Shots
Mentalist Oz Pearlman was in the middle of a trick when the shots rang out.
Secret Service agents flooded the ballroom.
As headliner Oz Pearlman dazzled Melania and Leavitt with his mentalism, shots were suddenly heard directly outside the ballroom.
Some guests would later say they thought the sounds were just a waiter dropping a tray of food.
Within seconds, Secret Service agents flooded the ballroom, with two jumping up on the stage to act as human shields for the president, before other agents were able to pull him offstage.
Melania, Vance, and the other dignitaries were led away from the stage to safety, as dinner guests ducked under the tables or scrambled to get out.
The Gunman Rushes In
Alleged gunman Cole Tomas Allan was tackled just past a security checkpoint.
He was heavily armed when apprehended.
At the same time, Allan wasn't getting far. After rushing the agents outside and shooting one in the chest of his bulletproof vest, the 31-year-old was tackled to the ground and detained.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed on Sunday that investigators believe the suspect had his sights set on the president and his crew.
Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, Blanche said: "We believe the suspect was targeting administration officials."
On Monday, April 27, Allan was officially charged with three criminal counts. One for attempting to assassinate the president, another for the interstate transportation of weapons, and finally one for the discharge of a firearm during a violent crime.
The President Provides Update
Dignitaries like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. were hurried out by Secret Service agents.
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Other guests were surrounded by agents and taken to safety.
Despite his pleas that the show must go on, the president eventually relented to his caretakers and headed home to the White House.
Later that night, Trump addressed the violence, condemning the suspected gunman and confirming he had been taken into custody by the Secret Service.
Speaking during a press briefing, Trump said: "He's a sick person, a very sick person, and we don't want things like this to happen."
Trump, who labeled the incident a "traumatic experience," acknowledged he was reluctant to leave, admitting: "I fought like hell to stay," before ultimately following security directives.
He also provided an update on the injured officer, noting the outcome could have been far worse.
"He was wearing a very good bulletproof vest that saved him," Trump said, adding the agent remained in "great shape" and "very high spirits."
The agents quickly cleared the ballroom.
Outside, police had the area surrounding the hotel on lockdown.
