▲ U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington on April 25, 2026, in this photo released by the Associated Press.
▲ U.S. Secret Service agents respond near President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump during the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington on April 25, 2026, in this photo released by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)

(3rd LD) Trump-evacuation

(3rd LD) Trump evacuated from White House correspondents' dinner; alleged shooter in detention

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout; ADDS photo)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday an alleged shooter from California had been apprehended as he was rushed out of the annual White House correspondents' dinner at a hotel in Washington after the sound of gunfire was heard.

Trump was sitting on the stage in front of a hotel ballroom during the event hosted by the White House Correspondents' Association. Following gunshots, Trump was forced to duck and escorted out of the place by the Secret Service personnel.

Trump said in a social media post that he, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and all other cabinet members were "in perfect condition."

During a press conference later, Trump said that the suspect is a "very sick person" and might be a "lone wolf," while calling on Americans to resolve differences "peacefully."

Before being taken down by Secret Service personnel, the attacker, who was armed with multiple weapons, charged a security checkpoint inside the hotel, Trump said. A Secret Service officer was shot but was saved by a bulletproof vest, he added.

Asked about the possibility of the shooting being politically motivated, Trump said that he is "concerned about everything."

"But I can't be so concerned that you can't function. I am here. It's a dangerous profession," he said.

Responding to a question of whether the incident could be linked to the war in Iran, Trump said, "I don't think so.

"But you never know. We are going to know a lot well. We have the best people in the world working on it," he said.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that charges related to the shooting will be filed shortly.

"The investigation is ongoing. I expect you will see charges filed shortly," Blanche said. "The charges should be self-evident, given the conduct, but as you will hear, there will be multiple charges surrounding the shooting, around the possession of firearms and anything else that we can get on this guy."

Trump pointed out that the shooting underscored the need for the White House to have a ballroom, as he has pushed to construct a new ballroom on the White House's demolished East Wing site despite legal hurdles.

He said that the correspondents' dinner will be rescheduled within 30 days, vowing to make it "bigger, better and even nicer," as well as "safer."

Saturday's shooting marked the third major security incident involving Trump following an assassination attempt during a Pennsylvania rally in July 2024 and the arrest of an armed man caught hiding near a Trump golf club in Florida in September 2024.

The gunfire took place despite tightened security around the hotel in the midst of the war with Iran, which the Trump administration has criticized as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The attendees also included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel.

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