‘Violence has no place’: EU leaders condemn attack at Trump dinner

Authorities said a “lone actor,” armed with a shotgun and other weapons, charged a security checkpoint outside the annual dinner late Saturday and exchanged gunfire with security forces. The incident triggered panic inside the ballroom as Trump and other dignitaries were rushed from the stage.

Trump initially signaled he wanted to resume the event before abandoning the idea as security concerns mounted. “We very much wanted to continue it,” he said at a press conference shortly after the incident, adding that he would not let “these sick people … change the fabric of our life.”

One Secret Service officer was struck in his bullet-resistant vest but is “doing great,” the president said, praising the rapid response. In her post, Kallas wished the injured officer a “swift recovery.”

Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him. The gunman was tackled but was unharmed; he was being evaluated at a hospital, police said.

The suspect, identified as a 31-year-old man from California, was taken into custody and is expected to face multiple firearm-related charges. Local police said investigators ‌believe that the man, who is believed to be the only suspect in the case, was checked in as a guest at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the dinner was held Saturday evening.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said the suspect would be charged with assaulting a federal officer using a dangerous weapon and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro said the person would be arraigned in a federal court on Monday, and did not rule out possible terrorism charges as the investigation develops.

“This individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” Pirro said.