A gunman fired shots in the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, causing US president Donald Trump and his cabinet to be rushed out before the suspect was taken into custody.
Here is a timeline of the incident and its immediate aftermath:
- Around 8.35pm
Guests at the Washington Hilton dinner took cover when shots were heard, video footage showed. Soon after, Secret Service agents rushed towards Trump, escorting the president and his cabinet from the ballroom.
A gunman had rushed a Secret Service checkpoint in a lobby, in Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser and interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll later told reporters.
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The suspect charged the Secret Service checkpoint in the hotel’s lobby area and was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, Carroll said. As the suspect ran through that checkpoint, Secret Service members intercepted him.
A Secret Service agent was injured and transported to a local hospital, the mayor said, adding the suspect was also transferred to a local hospital where he was evaluated.
“We do know that law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the individual ... The suspect in this case, he was not struck by gunfire,” Carroll said. “Law enforcement ... they actually tackled him into the ground and handcuffed him.”
- Around 9.17pm
Trump made his first comments after the shooting, saying law enforcement “acted quickly and bravely”. Trump posted on Truth Social that “the shooter has been apprehended”. Trump said he recommended that the event continue.
About 20 minutes later, Trump posted again saying law enforcement asked him and others to leave the premises of the venue and that he was complying with that request. The event will be rescheduled “within 30 days,” Trump said.
- Around 10.30pm
Trump addressed the media in a press conference at the White House, accompanied by the director of the FBI and the acting US attorney general. Trump and other law enforcement officials said preliminary information suggested the suspect was a lone shooter.
- Around 11.13pm
Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, told reporters the suspect was being charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. – Reuters
