WASHINGTON, April 26 — A gunman fired shots in the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday, causing United States (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 ET (0035 GMT on Sunday), 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.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll later told the media that a sole gunman had rushed a Secret Service checkpoint in a lobby.
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 added that as the suspect ran through that checkpoint, Secret Service members intercepted him.
Bowser noted that the Secret Service agent was injured and transported to a local hospital, and that 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. Law enforcement...they actually tackled him into the ground and handcuffed him," Carroll said.
Around 9.17pm ET (0117 GMT), Trump made his first comments after the shooting, saying law enforcement "acted quickly and bravely." On Truth Social, he posted that "the shooter has been apprehended." Trump said he recommended that the event continue.
About 20 minutes later, the President posted again, saying law enforcement asked him and others to leave the premises of the venue and that he was complying with that request. He added that the event will be rescheduled "within 30 days".
Around 10.30pm ET (0230 GMT), 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 ET (0313 GMT), the US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro told the media that the suspect was being charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.
