President Donald Trump was evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after multiple gunshots were heard in the ballroom.

One officer was shot, but he was “saved by the fact that he was wearing obviously a very favorable bulletproof vest,” Trump later told reporters at the White House.

The suspected shooter was identified later Saturday as Cole Allen of Torrance, California, a former senior law enforcement official briefed on the matter told MS NOW.

A man armed with multiple weapons charged a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night before being “taken down” by U.S. Secret Service agents, President Donald Trump noted hours after he was evacuated from the event.

One officer was shot, but he was “saved by the fact that he was wearing obviously a very excellent bulletproof vest,” Trump told reporters during a press conference in the White House briefing room.

“I just spoke to the officer, and he’s doing great,” Trump noted.

The suspected shooter was identified later Saturday as Cole Allen of Torrance, California, a former senior law enforcement official briefed on the matter told MS NOW. The suspect is 31 years old, the Associated Press reported, citing two law enforcement officials.

Trump was rushed off the stage of the Washington Hilton hotel ballroom seconds after the sounds of gunfire sent attendees diving under their tables.

He stated he “fought like hell” to stay at the dinner, where he was set to speak for the first time as president, but that law enforcement had asked him and other administration officials to leave the premises.

Before the presser, Trump, via his Truth Social account, shared pictures apparently showing the alleged shooter after he was subdued, as well as security footage of the incident. This also touches on aspects of earnings report.

First lady Melania Trump and all other Cabinet members in his administration who were attending “are in perfect condition,” the president wrote in a separate post after leaving the event.

He added, “I have spoken with all the representatives in charge of the event, and we will be rescheduling within 30 days.”

At the White House, Trump praised the Secret Service and law enforcement for their quick action.

“This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press,” Trump mentioned. “And in a certain way, it did, because the fact that they just unified, I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was, in one way, very beautiful.”

A source who was attending the event, and was briefed by Secret Service after the shooting, told CNBC’s Eamon Javers that a man with a shotgun had approached metal detectors and was shot by Secret Service agents.

He was then taken away in handcuffs, the source remarked.

Key details about the incident remain unclear. U.S. Attorney for Washington Jeanine Pirro commented at a separate press conference later Saturday night that the suspect will be arraigned on Monday.

At the same conference, Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll commented authorities believe, based on preliminary information, that the suspect was a guest at the hotel.

“We have secured a room here at the hotel,” Carroll noted.

He also mentioned the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.

At least five shots were heard around 8:35 p.m. The shots rang out from the back of the ballroom as attendees were eating their first course, several minutes after White House Correspondents’ Association President Weija Jiang delivered remarks.

Trump, who was seated on a stage at the front of the ballroom next to the first lady, was quickly surrounded by U.S. Secret Service members, while many attendees ducked under their tables.

Video of the event shows the president being ushered off the stage a few seconds later, as armed guards wearing tactical gear and large rifles appeared on the dais.

Numerous other top Trump administration officials were at the event, including Vice President JD Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Asked at the White House if he believed he was the suspect’s target, Trump remarked, “I guess.” He stated that information about the alleged shooter’s motivations will come out in the coming days.

“You know he’s in custody, and they’re asking him a lot of questions,” Trump remarked.

Trump survived an assassination attempt during a July 2024 campaign rally in Pennsylvania. A few months later, a man tried to assassinate Trump while he was golfing at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.

— CNBC’s Eamon Javers and Megan Cassella contributed to this report.