Trumps safety unclear after Washington shooting incident reported

US President Donald Trump was evacuated from a White House correspondents’ dinner at the Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C., after a gunman fired shots and attempted to breach security.

The incident occurred on Saturday night, during which Secret Service agents responded quickly to the scene. The president, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and cabinet members were unharmed. A security service agent was struck by gunfire but remained unharmed due to wearing a bulletproof vest.

According to authorities, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California is in custody as the suspect. Trump stated that Allen was heavily armed and appeared to be acting alone.

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner will be rescheduled for 30 days. The event, which celebrates the First Amendment and raises money for journalism scholarships, was interrupted by gunfire. Witnesses reported hearing shots fired from behind where they were seated, followed by a loud boom of at least five shots that resonated throughout the ballroom.

The Hilton hotel has been the site of previous assassination attempts, including John Hinckley Jr.’s attempted shooting of President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Trump expressed gratitude to the Secret Service for their response, stating that they did an “fantastic job” in apprehending the suspect.

Trump later posted on Truth Social that a shooter had been apprehended and praised the bravery of the Secret Service agent who was shot from close distance. The president also confirmed that all federal officials, including himself, were safe and unharmed.

Source: Al Jazeera