FBI Director Kash Patel faced new scrutiny after the WHCA dinner shooting in Washington, D.C., United States, where President Donald Trump and senior officials were evacuated Saturday night. Shots were fired near the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton around 8:30 p.m. local time Saturday, April 25, 2026, or about 5:30 a.m. PKT Sunday.
The Associated Press reported that Trump was uninjured and removed from the ballroom by U.S. Secret Service agents.
Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, according to published reports. Dawn reported that officials believed Trump administration figures were likely targets and that the suspect was expected to face federal charges. Videos showed Patel crouching inside the venue and later standing outside after the shooting, drawing criticism from social media users who questioned his visible role during the response.
Patel later appeared with Trump at a White House briefing, where he said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was examining shell casings, interviewing witnesses and asking the public to provide information.
Read: Trump Safe After WHCA Dinner Shooting, Says Iran War Stance Unchanged
Jeff Carroll, interim chief of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives. The Washington Post reported that the suspect moved through a Secret Service checkpoint toward the ballroom before being stopped.
The dinner was disrupted after the shooting, and C-SPAN reported the event was later cancelled. The WHCA had listed the 2026 dinner for Saturday, April 25, at the Washington Hilton.
