Live Updates: White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting suspect wrote that he planned to target Trump admin. officials

The suspect, 31-year-old Cole Allen, sent an email to family members shortly before the annual press gala, law enforcement and White House officials told CBS News.

In the writings, which officials described as a "manifesto," he stated he planned to target Trump administration officials, "prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest," according to a copy obtained by CBS News. 

The officials told CBS News that Allen's brother, alarmed by the email he and other family members received, called police in Connecticut to alert them Saturday night.

In the email, Allen didn't specify the timing or location for the attack but wrote that he planned to carry it out because he didn't want the "crimes" of the administration to "coat [his] hands."

Read more here.

C2 Education, where the suspected shooter worked, said in a statement that it is cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation of the attack.

"We were shocked to hear the news of the horrifying incident that transpired at the White House Correspondents' Dinner," the tutoring company said in a statement. "We are cooperating fully with law enforcement to assist them in their investigation. Violence of any kind is never the answer."

Allen, the suspect, worked as a teacher with C2 Education's center in Torrance, California, and was awarded "Teacher of the Month" in December 2024, according to a Facebook post. The post appears to have been removed. 

-Dan Gilbert

Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming that King Charles and Queen Camilla are going ahead with their plans to visit the U.S. Monday.

"Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the State Visit by Their Majesties will proceed as planned," the palace said in a statement. "The King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the Visit getting underway tomorrow."

This seating chart compiled by CBS News shows where top officials were seated at the White House Correspondents' Dinner before shots were fired outside the ballroom. Click on the red and blue dots for photos and more details.

Authorities are still working to determine what kind of round hit the U.S. Secret Service officer, according to law enforcement officials.

The officer was released from hospital this morning in good condition.

The Secret Service returned fire, but a day later, the exact number of rounds was still being investigated.

The alleged gunman wrote in an email to family, obtained by CBS News: "In order to minimize casualties, I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls)."

His writings were found in his hotel room on the 10th floor and at his home. 

The Secret Service officer who was shot in his bulletproof vest suffered bruising but is in good spirits, the sources said. He has been released from the hospital.

The suspected shooter is being held at a Metropolitan Police Department station in Northwest Washington, D.C., law enforcement sources told CBS News. He will be transported later Sunday to a detention facility in Southeast D.C.

Then, the alleged gunman will be transported by the U.S. Marshals Service to federal court Monday. He is expected to be arraigned before a federal judge, Justice Department officials have said.

The alleged gunman wrote in what authorities referred to as a "manifesto" that he planned to target administration officials, "prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest," and authorities "only if necessary," according to law enforcement and White House officials. 

The suspect said hotel employees and guests weren't his intended targets but that he would still attack them to get to the administration, adding: "I really hope it doesn't come to that."

Read more here.

Most of the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Secret Service, has been shut down for more than two months because of a lapse in federal funding, leaving scores of department employees working with pay.

The Senate passed legislation last month to fund the bulk of the department, but excluded Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection — agencies that have been at the center of the president's immigration agenda.

But the GOP-led House has yet to take up that measure, as Republican lawmakers have insisted on assurances that the two immigration agencies will be funded. The Senate last week took a key step toward funding CBP and ICE through the budget reconciliation process, which allows the plan to move forward without reliance on Democrats.

Asked whether the attack at the correspondents' dinner changes the debate over Homeland Security funding, Rep. Jamie Raskin told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that he hopes it does.

"I hope that we can improve public safety for everybody, but it was in the House and Republican leadership wasn't willing to do that," the Maryland Democrat said. "We've got three-quarters of Congress all together on moving forward, resolving the remaining issues and getting everything funded."

Raskin noted that ICE has not seen an interruption in funding because the agency had received an infusion of dollars from Congress in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" last year.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, attended the press dinner and told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that he hopes the attack sparks a nationwide bipartisan conversation about how to improve public safety for all.

Asked about Mr. Trump's remarks in the wake of the attack calling for unity, Raskin called it a "welcome change in rhetoric."

"We have said all along that we need every politician in the country, every leader in the country, every citizen in the country denouncing political violence across the board, regardless of where it's coming from," he said.

Raskin said Americans need to rediscover the nation's tradition of nonviolence.

Samantha Vinograd, CBS News national security contributor, told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," that the country is facing "the most complex threat environment" in its history.

"In this scenario, two things can be true. It can be true that law enforcement and intelligence professionals prepared exhaustively for last night, weeks of planning, intelligence gathering, physical security barriers, officers on site," she said. "But it can also be true that in this moment, in this security environment, the paradigms of the past may not be sufficient to meet the moment."

A.T. Smith, former deputy director of the Secret Service and CBS News law enforcement analyst, said that the Secret Service will have to look at the attack "very diligently" and examine how the suspected gunman was able to get near the ballroom armed with two firearms. 

Law enforcement has said that the suspect was a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was held.

Vinograd said that she hopes the attack is a "wake-up call" to law enforcement to rethink whether additional security steps are needed for events like the dinner, as well as to the public in understanding that they have a responsibility to warn others if someone they know is demonstrating signs that could lead to violence.

"Every time an incident like this happens, the optimist in my thinks, perhaps this will be a turning point, perhaps this will be a turning point where each and every person in this country thinks about what they say and how they act," Vinograd said. "Words do matter."

Weijia Jiang, CBS News senior White House correspondent and president of the White House Correspondents' Association, told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that it was "remarkable" to see Secret Service in action and praised agents for protecting not only the president, but journalists, Cabinet officials and others in attendance.

"That is heartening, but obviously it was a tough situation for everyone that was there," she said.

Jiang said that while she has covered shootings, murders and other tragedies, it did not prepare her for being involved in an attack.

"This is the first time that I've been on the other side of a potentially violent and deadly situation," she said.

Jiang said that she spoke with the president before his first Truth Social post informing the public that the dinner would be postponed and told Brennan that Mr. Trump wanted to "explain that he himself realized how important that night was."

"He told me that we were not going to be deterred. He refused to stand down and that's why he was there despite what had unfolded," she said.

Read more: Weijia Jiang: I was on stage last night with the president. This is what I saw.

The suspect's writings under review by investigators stated he wanted to specifically target administration officials, a senior U.S. official told CBS News. Authorities found anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on the suspect's social media accounts, the official said.

The writings, some of which have been reviewed by CBS News, included an argument about how Christians should interpret the commandment to "turn the other cheek." 

Allen sent some of his writings to members of his family before the attempted attack on Saturday, and one of them alerted police about the writings. The writings sent to family members apparently did not specifically mention the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Another family member who was interviewed by investigators after the attack said Allen made radical statements and that he constantly referenced a plan to do "something" to fix the issues with today's world.

Family members told investigators Allen would regularly go to the shooting range to train with his firearms.

The official said Allen was part of a group called "The Wide Awakes" and attended a "No Kings" protest in California.

Read more here.

Investigators are reviewing the suspect's writings as part of the ongoing investigation into his motive for the attack, three federal law enforcement officials told CBS News. The materials were written on paper and were found in the hotel, the officials said.

King Charles is still expected to travel to the U.S., British ambassador to the U.S. Sir Christian Turner told CBS News. Charles is expected to arrive at the White House on Monday, and will be honored at a banquet dinner the following night. 

Buckingham Palace said in a statement earlier Sunday that "His Majesty is being kept fully informed of developments and is greatly relieved to hear that the President, First Lady and all guests have been unharmed." 

The statement continued that a "number of discussions will be taking place throughout the day to discuss with U.S. colleagues and our respective teams to what degree the events of Saturday evening may or may not impact on the operational planning for the Visit!"

President Trump said Sunday that the attack outside the ballroom where he, senior members of his administration and scores of journalists were gathered reinforces the need for the ballroom that is under construction at the White House.

"What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, Law Enforcement and, for different reasons, every President for the last 150 years, have been DEMANDING that a large, safe, and secure Ballroom be built ON THE GROUNDS OF THE WHITE HOUSE," he wrote on Truth Social. "This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!"

Mr. Trump said that his planned ballroom has "every highest level security feature there is," and, sitting inside the White House gates, would not allow access by "unsecured people."

The president attacked the plaintiffs who brought a lawsuit seeking to block construction and said the challenge should be dropped immediately.

"Nothing should be allowed to interfere with … its construction, which is on budget and substantially ahead of schedule!!!" he wrote.

Asked by "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan whether it was the suspected gunman who shot the Secret Service agent, Blanche replied, "That's what we understand as of now."

The president spoke with the agent Saturday night, and Blanche said he was "in great spirit."  

"We all heard his voice last night. The president gave him words of encouragement and appreciation and thanking him for the work that he's doing for all of us, and I will tell you he was in very good spirits, and so that's a tragedy avoided, and it is because he was wearing a bulletproof vest," he said.

The suspected gunman is expected to face two charges, using a firearm during a violent crime and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Saturday night just hours after the attack.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the evidence gathered by investigators will help determine whether the alleged shooter, 31-year-old Cole Allen, faces additional charges.

"There's a lot of federal charges that could be in play beyond those two charges but it depends on us understanding his motive, his intent, his premeditation of what led into him deciding he was going to do what he did last night," Blanche told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."

The acting attorney general said Allen will be charged via criminal complaint and appear before a federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Blanche said he expects an indictment will follow.

Blanche said incidents like this "will not deter" the president from appearing before the public and doing his job. He told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan, "We will not stop doing things like we did last night in this administration." 

"And this man, if one of his goals was to get us to be scared, he failed," Blanche said.

"President Trump said last night, and he means it, and I very much agree with him, that this type of conduct will not deter him, it will not stop him from living," Blanche said. "It will not stop him from doing his job. And not only him, but the vice president, the Cabinet, the law enforcement, you all journalists, you're not going to stop doing your jobs either because of this — this lone man that did what he did."

"And so, this is something that we all are still reacting to because it's fresh, but I assure you that the type of things you saw the president last night and the president being out there and available to the American public, that will not change because of what this guy tried to do last night," Blanche added. 

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that investigators believe the suspect was staying at the Washington Hilton, where the White House Correspondents' Dinner was held, and traveled to Washington, D.C., by train.

Blanche said he traveled from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then Chicago to the nation's capital.

"He was apprehended and subdued feet away from breaking the perimeter," he said. "So we were all safe inside, and that's a testament to the Secret Service doing their job and the law enforcement doing exactly what we hope and expect them to do in this time and train for this their entire careers."

Law enforcement sources said the subject didn't appear to intend to leave the attack alive. This attack was planned, the sources said. 

The FBI is conducting a criminal investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service is investigating his background ideology and what precipitated this event. 

In an interview with "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said investigators believe the suspected gunman was targeting members of the Trump administration.

Blanche said law enforcement is still looking into the alleged shooter's motivation, but are talking with witnesses who knew him.

The acting attorney general said the suspect, Cole Allen, is not actively cooperating with authorities.

CBS News has learned new details about the suspect seen charging through metal detectors in surveillance video at the Washington Hilton Hotel on Saturday night, including his record of firearm ownership.

The shotgun that Cole Tomas Allen used to open fire outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner was purchased in August 2025, according to two law enforcement sources. He also owned another semiautomatic pistol, purchased in 2023, they said.

Back in California, there is not much information about Allen beyond his education. Both law enforcement sources confirmed that he earned his master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2025. Earlier, he studied mechanical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, completing his undergraduate degree in 2017. 

Allen went on to work as a teacher at the tutoring center C2 Education in Torrance, a city just outside Los Angeles where he lived from November 2010 to March 2026, the sources said. He was named "teacher of the month" in December 2024.

The suspect lived in San Gabriel, another Southern California city, from January 2018 to December 2019, before moving to Torrance, according to the sources. He owned a 2004 Yamaha motorcycle.

CBS News has also obtained a copy of Allen's drivers license photo, which was taken in October 2024.

A LinkedIn profile linked to the suspect lists a bachelor's in mechanical engineering and a master's in computer science. It identifies him as a self-employed video game developer who also works part-time as a teacher for a company that specializes in tutoring and college test preparation.

California State University, Dominguez Hills said a student named Cole Allen earned a master's degree there in 2025, though the university said it could not confirm whether this is the same person identified as the suspect. The California Institute of Technology said a graduate by the same name received a degree in 2017.

Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn posted a statement saying: "Tonight, a coward attempted to create a national tragedy. He underestimated the protective capabilities of the U.S. Secret Service and was stopped at first contact."

Quinn said "the strength of our layered security posture was evident, with a myriad of countermeasures still ahead," and he expressed gratitude to the men and women of the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies.

Cole Allen, the suspect in the shooting outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner, told law enforcement following his arrest that he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials, two sources told CBS News. 

The suspect didn't specifically say he was targeting President Trump, just "administration officials," a law enforcement source said. 

Read more here.

CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, who is also the president of the White House Correspondents' Association, was sitting next to President Trump as the incident unfolded. 

"What was going through my mind is my 7-year-old daughter was there. My husband was there. My parents were there," Jiang said. "On a night where we all came together to celebrate the freedoms and the First Amendment, we also have to think about how fragile they are in this country because … shootings and would-be shootings happen every day." 

"And it doesn't matter if it's the White House Correspondents' Dinner or anywhere else in this country. Nobody should have to feel that way. Nobody should have to feel scared to be anywhere in a public place," she added.

Jiang said the annual press dinner is about acknowledging how vital the First Amendment is to democracy, and a chance for the press and the president "to get together in a different context and recognize the important relationship, despite how complicated it might be."

"That's what we were doing, and unfortunately … this traumatic event unfolded and thank goodness everybody is safe. And that's the most important thing out of all of this," she said.

Jeffrey Carroll, interim chief of police for the Metropolitan Police Department, said they don't yet know the alleged gunman's motivation or who his specific target may have been. The suspect was not known to the D.C. police department, he said.

Carroll said the suspect charged the security checkpoint with a shotgun in his hand, and was also armed with a handgun and multiple knives.

The suspected shooter was not hit by gunfire and was taken to the hospital for evaluation, Carroll said.

The interim police chief said "preliminary information" is that the gunman was a guest at the hotel. Law enforcement secured a room at the hotel and is going through the "appropriate procedures" to determine what was inside. 

Carroll said law enforcement believes the alleged gunman is the only suspect in the case.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran told reporters that agents "performed admirably" in apprehending the suspected gunman when he charged the security checkpoint.

President Trump has called the agent who was struck, Curran said. He said the agent, who was protected by a bulletproof vest, is very fortunate to be alive.

The suspect who opened fire outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner was an educator who received a "Teacher of the Month" award in Torrance, California, in 2024, CBS News has learned. 

Two law enforcement sources confirmed that 31-year-old Cole Allen had been a teacher with C2 Education of Torrance, a tutoring service. He was awarded "Teacher of the Month" by C2 in December 2024, according to a Facebook post. 

It's unclear if he was still employed by C2. 

Three sources previously confirmed to CBS News that Allen is the suspect in custody for Saturday's incident. 

The California Institute of Technology also confirmed to CBS News in an email that Allen graduated from the university in 2017, but provided no further details. 

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top prosecutor for Washington, D.C., said the suspect will be charged with two counts so far: using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.

"It is clear, based upon what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could, and thankfully, because of the checkpoint right outside the ballroom where thousands of people were situated to hear the president of the United States, that checkpoint worked," Pirro said during a press conference. "There was no one who was injured, but it was clear where this defendant was going."

Pirro said the suspect will be arraigned Monday in federal district court and predicted he will face more charges as investigators learn more.

President Trump addressed the rise of political violence and said it impacts all countries.

"No country is immune," he said.

Mr. Trump said president of the United States is a "dangerous profession," and said his policies make him a target.

"It comes with the territory," he said, adding "we're going to continue to do a great job. That's all I can do."

Mr. Trump said he initially thought the sound of gunfire was a tray dropping and joked that when reporters and officials gather for the dinner again, they will make it "safer."

President Trump said the ballroom where the dinner was held was "very, very secure," and the shooter charged the security screening area from "50 yards away."

"These people, they're crazy," he said. "They're crazy."

Asked whether the shooting was linked to the ongoing war in Iran, Mr. Trump said he did not believe that was the case, but investigators are still gathering information.

The president reiterated that he believes the suspect was a "lone wolf," and called him a "whack job."

President Trump told Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, that she did a "fantastic job."

Jiang, a CBS News White House correspondent, asked the president about how he was feeling as he was whisked away by Secret Service agents. Mr. Trump was wounded in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024.

"I was watching to see what was happening," he said, adding that the first lady was "very cognizant" of what was going on.

Mr. Trump raised the Secret Service and the police for their swift action.

"We very much wanted to continue, because I don't like to let these sick people, these thugs, these horrible, horrible people change the fabric of our lives, change the course of what we do," he said.

The president joked that he was prepared to "really rip it" in his speech, but vowed instead to go easier on the press when the dinner is next held.

President Trump confirmed that one law enforcement officer was shot, but said his life was likely saved because he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Mr. Trump said the alleged shooter lives in California and called him a "sick person." He told reporters that the suspected gunman likely acted alone.

The president said that the attack underscored the need for the ballroom at the White House, which he said the Secret Service and the military are "demanding."

"We don't want things like this to happen," he said. "I think it's very important that I say, though, and I told the representatives of the evening, and they did such a beautiful job with such a beautiful evening. And again, they're talking about free speech in our Constitution. That's what it's all about."

Mr. Trump urged Americans to "recommit with their hearts and resolve our differences peacefully." He noted that the dinner brought together lawmakers and officials from across the political spectrum.

Joining Mr. Trump at the White House for the briefing were Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. 

The suspect in the shooting is 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, three sources told CBS News. 

Read more here.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the investigation into the incident tonight is "ongoing" and that charges against the suspect should be filed "shortly."

"The charges should be self evident, given the conduct," Blanche said.

Blanche said that federal investigators are already working on search warrants in the case, and that "everybody's on the scene doing their job."

In remarks to the press from the White House, President Trump said the attack was perpetrated by a "thug" who "attacked our Constitution."

"That was very unexpected, but incredibly acted upon by Secret Service and law enforcement," he said. "This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both partners with members of the press, and in a way it did."

Mr. Trump said a man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons and was taken down by agents. He said he shared to his social media platforms security footage of the incident, which Mr. Trump said was to show how swiftly Secret Service and law enforcement 

President Trump posted a photo to Truth Social that appeared to show the suspect on the ground and handcuffed after the shooting.

The president also posted security video that showed the suspect running past Secret Service. 

CBS News White House reporter Olivia Rinaldi said the sound of the gunshots fired outside the ballroom of the White House Correspondents' Dinner reminded her of the assassination attempt on President Trump that occurred during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.

"We heard what sounded like three to four successive shots," Rinaldi said. "Originally it sounded like plates had fallen, loud noises. But I was there in Butler, that was gunfire and we knew it."

"We could also smell the gunpowder that was fired," she added. 

The suspect in Saturday night's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner had a shotgun and handgun on him, according to two sources familiar with the investigation into the shooting.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York expressed gratitude for law enforcement's quick action to protect those in attendance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

"Praying for the safety of those who may remain in harm's way," he wrote on X. "The violence and chaos in America must end."

President Trump said he will hold a press conference at the White House briefing room shortly. 

The president wrote in a Truth Social post that he would hold the press conference "in 30 minutes." Mr. Trump had initially stated that he would like the White House Correspondents' Dinner to proceed, for later saying that law enforcement had asked that the ballroom be cleared for investigators. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Mr. Trump will speak from the briefing room. 

CBS News will stream the press conference live on this page.

Reporter Bo Erickson captured images of the scene as President Trump was rushed off stage by Secret Service agents.

"Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely," Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.

A Secret Service agent was injured when a gunman opened fire outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner, two law enforcement sources told CBS News.

The agent was struck by a round but was wearing a bulletproof vest and is expected to be OK, the sources said. 

The sources said that a total of five to eight shots were fired. The gunman is alive but injured and was hospitalized, the sources added. 

Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association and CBS News' senior White House correspondent, took to the stage and reiterated that President Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and members of Mr. Trump's Cabinet were not hurt.

As she told the crowd of reporters that the president would be holding a press conference, Jiang quipped, "that is not a joke."

Jiang told those in attendance that the president wanted to continue with the dinner, but has to follow security protocols.

"Journalism is a public service, because when there is an emergency, we run to the crisis, not away from it," she said. "And on a night when we are thinking about the freedoms of the First Amendment, we must also think about how fragile they are."

Noting that many of the journalists attending the dinner quickly shifted to reporting on the night's events, Jiang said, "That's what we do."

"Thank God everybody is safe and thank you for coming together tonight. We will do this again," she said.

President Trump said on Truth Social that law enforcement has requested that he leave the site of the dinner and will do so "immediately." He said that he will give a press conference from the White House briefing room.

"The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition," he said.

Mr. Trump said that he has spoken with those in charge of the event and "we will be rescheduling within 30 days."

Anthony Guglielmi, Secret Service spokesman, said that the agency and the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department are investigating a "shooting incident" near the main security screening area at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

The president and first lady, along with all protectees, are safe, he said in a statement shared to social media.

Guglielmi said that a person is in custody.

"The condition of those involved is not yet known, and law enforcement is actively assessing the situation," he said.

 In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said that a shooter has been apprehended and said that while he wants the dinner to continue, that will be up to law enforcement.

"Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we 'LET THE SHOW GO ON' but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement," Mr. Trump wrote. "They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we'll just, plain, have to do it again."

Law enforcement sources initially told CBS News that the shooter was killed, but White House officials later said the person was "neutralized" but alive.

 Attendees of the White House Correspondents Dinner heard what sounded like three to four gun shots around 8:30 p.m. 

The shots sounded like they were fired outside the ballroom, near a back stairwell, opposite the stage where the president was seated. The president was evacuated within seconds.

Gunpowder could be smelled near the back of the room. Among those escorted out by security were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, FBI Director Kash Patel and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. 

A law enforcement source told CBS News at least six shots were fired before the gunman at the White House Correspondents' Dinner was neutralized. 

The gunman was apparently in the hallway by the metal detectors just outside the ballroom where diners were being served, the source said. 

Cellphone video shot by CBS News senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs from the CBS News table captured the immediate moments after shots were fired outside the ballroom. 

The video shows White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and his wife, Katie Miller, crouched next to the table and shielded by a federal agent before they are led out of the ballroom. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert K. Kennedy, Jr., and his wife, Cheryl Hines, also appeared to be next to Miller. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer, can then be seen leaving the ballroom.

Secret Service officers with guns drawn lined up across the podium area yelling "clear" after multiple shots were heard. 

Images taken by photojournalists at the White House Correspondents Dinner show armed agents escorting away guests including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.

Another photo shows attendees hiding under tables what sounded like several gunshots.

Video footage from inside the dinner show attendees crouched next to tables, with security details winding their way among the maze of tables.

Security is evacuating the ballroom at the White House Correspondents Dinner after law enforcement fired shots inside the room, reports CBS News security contributor Sam Vinograd, who is at the event.

She said the incident appeared to happen in the hallway right by CBS News' table at the annual dinner.

Several Cabinet officials are in attendance at the White House Correspondents Dinner, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert K. Kennedy, Jr., and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.