National

'They think he is a lone wolf,' Trump says of alleged gunman

By Richard Winton and Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times The Tribune Content Agency
President Trump and first lady Melanie Trump attend the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Later in the evening, guests heard gunshots and were evacuated. (Gavin Quinton/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
President Trump and first lady Melanie Trump attend the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Later in the evening, guests heard gunshots and were evacuated. (Gavin Quinton/Los Angeles Times/TNS) Gavin Quinton TNS

During a news conference shortly after President Donald Trump was abruptly escorted out of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, he described the moment authorities arrested the alleged gunman.

"The First Lady on my right, and I heard a noise, and sort of thought it was a tray," Trump said. "I thought it was a tray going down many times, and it was pretty loud noise, and it was from quite far away."

The president said the person hadn't gone into the dinner area because security "really got him."

"It was a gun, and some people really understood that pretty quickly," he said. "I was watching to see what was happening, but we should have gotten down even faster." He added, "Melania was very cognizant, I think, of what happened. I think she knew immediately what happened."

The president said investigators "think he is a lone wolf."

Interim Chief of Washington's Metropolitan Police Department Jeffery Carroll said the person was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives and "was a lone actor." He was taken down and was not shot.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 10:59 PM.

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