United States Secret Service agents rushed President Donald Trump from the stage on Saturday evening after gunfire erupted at a high-profile media gala, in what he later described as an attempted assassination.

Armed security personnel engaged a gunman who had forced his way through a security checkpoint just outside the ballroom of the hotel where Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, senior government officials, and hundreds of black-tie guests had gathered.

Panic ensued as attendees dived under tables while Secret Service teams secured the venue during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, held at the Washington Hilton in the US capital.

“A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service,” Trump told a press conference at the White House shortly after the incident.

“They seem to think he was a lone wolf, and I feel that too,” he added, after posting a video of the suspect sprinting past security as guards drew their weapons. The suspect was detained at the scene.

Trump disclosed that one officer had been shot at close range but did not appear to be critically injured. He also remarked that the venue was “not a particularly secure” facility, as questions emerged regarding presidential safety protocols.

At the hastily convened briefing, Trump said he initially mistook the sound for a dropped tray before realising it was gunfire. He added that he intended to reschedule the gala within a month despite the security breach.

City officials said the suspect, who is expected to be arraigned on Monday on firearm and assault charges, appeared to have been a guest at the hotel. He was reportedly armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and knives.

“Law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the individual,” Washington police chief Jeffery Carroll told reporters. “A US Secret Service Uniformed Division officer was struck in his vest. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He appears to be in good spirits.”

Trump also told reporters that authorities had searched the suspect’s apartment, adding, “I guess he lives in California.”

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents were later seen outside a residence in Torrance, California, according to an AFP photographer. The area around the two-storey brown house was cordoned off with police tape.

Multiple US media outlets identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, from Torrance in south-west Los Angeles County. However, the FBI declined to confirm his identity, stating it had nothing to add beyond information disclosed at official briefings.

A LinkedIn profile under the name “Cole Allen” featured an image resembling the suspect shown in footage shared by Trump. The profile described him as a mechanical engineer, computer scientist, game developer, and teacher.

During the incident, tactical teams with weapons drawn secured the stage where Trump had been seated prior to his evacuation. Police swiftly surrounded the hotel, while helicopters hovered overhead.

The breach occurred after the welcoming speech and during dinner, shortly before Trump was due to address attendees. Cabinet members were evacuated first as confusion spread among guests.

One administration official, Dr. Mehmet Oz, was heard telling journalists, “Shots fired upstairs”, as he was escorted from the venue by security personnel.

Trump has previously been the target of assassination attempts. During a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024, a gunman fired multiple shots, killing an audience member and grazing the president’s ear.

Months later, another suspect was apprehended after a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a rifle protruding from bushes near the perimeter of a golf course in West Palm Beach, where Trump was playing.

The Washington Hilton, the venue for Saturday’s gala, was also the site of the 1981 shooting of President Ronald Reagan by an assailant.

The White House Correspondents’ Association invited Trump to this year’s event despite his repeated criticism of the media. Unlike his predecessors over the past century, he had not attended the dinner while in office.

Often referred to as the “Nerd Prom”, the annual gathering brings together journalists and prominent figures in Washington to raise funds for scholarships and awards.

Traditionally, the event features a comedian who delivers satirical remarks about the president, who typically responds in kind. However, no comedian had been scheduled for this year’s edition.