At around 8:40 p.m. EDT, gunshots were fired near the main security screening area of the Washington Hilton while dinner was being served in the main ballroom.
In a televised statement at the White House shortly after, Trump said, "A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service."
Authorities identified the suspect as a 30-year-old man from California who was injured and taken into custody at the scene after he was reportedly found with a shotgun and a handgun.
Trump said the alleged shooter's motivation remains unclear, but added that he was a "guy who looked pretty evil when he was down."
He also said the dinner would be rescheduled "within the next 30 days," vowing that it would be "bigger, and better, and even nicer."
The gunfire occurred despite tight security at the hotel during the dinner, which was attended by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
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