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President Donald Trump addressed reporters at the White House after he and other top leaders of the United States were evacuated from an annual dinner of White House correspondents on Saturday night after a shooting incident outside the ballroom.<\/p>\n
The shooting suspect \u2014 described by Trump as a \u201csick person\u201d \u2014 was identified as Allen.<\/p>\n
Trump said the suspect was armed with multiple weapons, later identified as a handgun, long gun and multiple knives, before being stopped by Secret Service. One officer was shot, but he was protected by a bulletproof vest.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
The officer was taken to a hospital and is expected to be OK. The suspect was also taken to the hospital for evaluation.<\/p>\n
At least six shots were fired in the lobby that leads to the dining room where the event was being held.<\/p>\n
“The fact that they just unified, I saw a room that was just totally unified, it was in one way very beautiful, a very beautiful thing to see. A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons. And he was taken down by some very brave members of Secret Service and they acted quickly,” Trump said.<\/p>\n
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the banquet hall as guests ducked under tables. \u201cOut of the way, sir!\u201d someone yelled. Others yelled to duck.<\/p>\n
A first-person account claims to have been inside a bathroom right near where the shooting happened and heard several shots fired.<\/p>\n
Once evacuated from the bathroom, the witness said, they saw broken glass near the stairs, and a person lying on the floor, with lots of Secret Service around them.<\/p>\n
White House Correspondents’ Association President Weijia Jiang said everyone is safe after the shooting incident. The event will be rescheduled.<\/p>\n
All officials protected by the Secret Service were evacuated. Those in attendance included Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio \u2014 and many other leaders of the Trump administration.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he and his wife, Kelly, who both attended the event, were “praying for our country tonight.” The House Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, said, “The violence and chaos in America must end.”<\/p>\n
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