A gunman armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives charged a Secret Service checkpoint inside the Washington Hilton on Saturday night, setting off an exchange of gunfire and triggering the emergency evacuation of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner before the suspect was subdued and taken into custody.

The incident occurred at approximately 8:36 p.m. as the annual press event was underway in the hotel’s ballroom. Trump was inside at the time. The suspect rushed the lobby checkpoint and was intercepted immediately by Secret Service agents before reaching the event space. Gunfire was exchanged at close range. A Secret Service officer was shot but survived because his protective vest absorbed the impact. The suspect was taken into custody without being struck by gunfire and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

“He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job,” Trump told reporters in the White House Briefing Room shortly after the incident. “I just spoke to the officer — he’s in great shape, very high spirits.”

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Metropolitan Police Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed the suspect had been armed with the shotgun, handgun and multiple knives. “What we have here is a multi-layered approach — when he reached that checkpoint, Secret Service agents and law enforcement engaged immediately and brought him into custody before anyone was harmed,” Carroll said. Witnesses inside the ballroom reported hearing between five and eight shots, followed by Secret Service agents shouting “shots fired” before the evacuation order was given.

White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang confirmed that no one inside the main event space was injured and that law enforcement had ordered an immediate evacuation. Members of the National Guard were deployed inside the venue as attendees were cleared from the building and not permitted to return.

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi confirmed that the president, first lady and all protectees were safe. “One individual is in custody,” he said.

The suspect was identified as a 30-year-old man from California. Officials described him as a lone actor and said there was no indication of additional threats. Acting Attorney General Jeanine Pirro said at a news conference that the suspect was facing multiple federal charges including assault on a federal officer and use of a firearm during a violent crime, with more charges expected as the investigation developed. “Make no mistake, there will be many more charges based upon what we are learning in this very fluid situation,” Pirro said.

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FBI Assistant Director Darren Cox said the agency had deployed its Joint Terrorism Task Force, crisis response teams and evidence units to the scene. FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators were examining ballistics, a recovered long gun and shell casings, and conducting witness interviews, urging the public to submit any information. “No piece of information is too small,” Patel said.

Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after the evacuation, praising law enforcement and urging that “the show go on” while deferring to authorities on next steps. “Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and law enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely,” he wrote. He described the suspect as “a very sick person” and said the event was expected to be rescheduled within 30 days. He also confirmed that Vice President JD Vance and all Cabinet members were unharmed.

The investigation into the suspect’s motive and background remained active, with federal and local agencies working jointly on the case.