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WHCA dinner shooting updates: Suspect described himself as 'friendly federal assassin,' sources say

The alleged targets information was not specific, per law enforcement.

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Last updated: Monday, April 27, 2026 3:38AM GMT
Suspect described himself as 'friendly federal assassin,' sources say

WASHINGTON -- 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.

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12:15 AM GMT

Trump recalls shooting in interview, says he read alleged gunman's manifesto

President Trump spoke to senior CBS correspondent Norah O'Donnell about the shooting incident at the Washington Hilton, saying he "wasn't worried" about injuries when gunshots rang out.

"I wasn't worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world," Trump told "60 Minutes" in an interview on Sunday.

He also said he wasn't sure if he was the alleged attacker's target, but "it sounds it to me."

"I read a manifesto. He says he's radicalized," Trump went on. "He was a Christian, a believer, and then he became an anti-Christian. And he had a lot of change. He's been going through a lot based on what he wrote. His brother complained about him, and I think we reported him to the police... his family was very concerned. He was, probably a pretty sick guy."

The president then recounted his memory of the incident, saying he knew something was wrong by the first lady's facial expression.

After being ushered off the stage, Trump said he was brought to a room, where he urged Secret Service agents to let the dinner continue.

"And then I got up and we went to a hold room for a while, and I tried to get them to continue the event, if possible," Trump said.

"You wanted to go back in?" O'Donnell asked.

"I did, I really did," Trump remarked.

-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr and Meghan Mistry

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12:07 AM GMT

Former President Obama responds to shooting at White House correspondents' dinner

Former President Barack Obama responded to Saturday night's shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner, writing on X that it's essential to "reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy."

He added that the incident was a reminder of the "courage and sacrifice" that the Secret Service makes every day.

"Although we don't yet have the details about the motives behind last night's shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it's incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy," he said in the post. "It's also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day. I'm grateful to them - and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay."

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

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Apr 26, 2026, 10:38 PM GMT

Suspect described himself as 'friendly federal assassin' in letter to family, sources say

The White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting suspect allegedly sent a message to his family, just before attempting to carry out an attack at the dinner Saturday evening, in which he described himself as a "friendly federal assassin," sources familiar with his message told ABC News.

The suspect, Cole Allen, wrote that he planned to target administration officials, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest, according to sources familiar with his message.

In the message shared with family members, Allen apparently said that while dinner guests were not his "targets," he "would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary."

Allen did not mention President Donald Trump by name in his message, the sources said. Allen did write that FBI Director Kash Patel was not a target but did not explain why, the sources said.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday morning on NBC that the suspect was targeting administration officials "likely including the president," but added that the information was preliminary because the investigation is ongoing.

-ABC News' Katherine Faulders, Pierre Thomas, Jack Date and Luke Barr

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Apr 26, 2026, 7:50 PM GMT

'A harrowing moment': WHCA president shares statement about dinner shooting

White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia Jiang issued a statement Sunday afternoon about the attack at Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Association dinner, calling it "a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance."

"We express our deepest gratitude to the U.S. Secret Service and all law enforcement personnel who ensured the safety of everyone in the ballroom and beyond," Jiang wrote on behalf of the WHCA. "Their actions protected thousands of guests, and we wish a full and speedy recovery to the officer who was injured in the line of duty."

Weijia Jiang, president of the White House correspondents' association, speaks at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington.
Weijia Jiang, president of the White House correspondents' association, speaks at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington.

Jiang also expressed gratitude that "everyone in attendance was unharmed, including the president, the first lady, and the vice president."

"Our dinner exists to celebrate the First Amendment and the hard daily work of the journalists who defend it. Last night, those journalists showed exactly the kind of calm and courage that work demands, jumping into reporting immediately after the incident unfolded. We are proud of everyone in that room," Jiang further wrote.

The White House Correspondents' Association board will meet "to assess what happened and determine how to proceed," Jiang's statement concluded, adding that the organization would provide updates "as soon as any are available."