Charlotte Hadfield
Live reporter

US President Donald Trump was a "likely" target of last night's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, according to the acting US attorney general.

Here's a recap of how the incident unfolded:

At 20.35 ET (01:35 BST), a suspected gunman ran into the foyer at the Washington Hilton hotel, trying to get past security officers and metal detectors.

Shots were heard, prompting Secret Service agents to escort Donald Trump and his cabinet out of the room, as guests ducked for cover.

The BBC's chief North America correspondent, Gary O'Donoghue, said he heard the shattering of glass and "within seconds, we were under the table".

Less than an hour later at 21.17 ET, Trump makes his first comments on Truth Social, saying that the alleged gunman "has been apprehended".

What we know about the suspect

The suspect has been named by US media as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, from Torrance, California. He is expected to be formally charged on Monday.

Police said the motive of the suspect remains unknown.

US Attorney General Todd Blanche said "preliminary" findings suggest the suspected gunman was targeting members of the Trump administration - and that Trump himself was a "likely" target.

We are ending our live coverage, but you can read more about the shooting here.

Gunfire was heard, President Trump was ushered away, and a landmark calendar event for White House journalists quickly came to a halt.

We've put together the key clips showing how the situation spiralled at the Washington Hilton hotel during last night's White House Correspondents' Dinner.

The suspected gunman is currently being held at a Metropolitan Police Department station in north-west Washington DC, law enforcement sources tell the BBC's US partner CBS News.

He will be transported later today to a detention facility in the south-east of the capital, they say, before being taken a to federal court on Monday.

Regan Morris
Reporting from Torrance, California

The house where Cole Allen - who has been named by law enforcement officials as the man arrested on Saturday night - lived with his parents has the windows covered on the garage.

Several neighbours point it out, saying they’ve never noticed it before - and they weren’t sure if it’s always been that way.

There’s a foil covering the windows from the inside and black draped fabric on the outside.

“It’s definitely not normal for the neighborhood,” says Vince Terrazzino, who walked past the house with his 10-year-old daughter, Alessandra. "Nothing ever happens here," he says.

FBI detectives have been knocking on neighbours doors here. Alessandra keeps asking them what the latest news is - they decline to answer her or us.

Image source, Reuters

Regan Morris
Reporting from Torrance, California

Image source, Reuters

Cole Allen’s usually quiet neighbourhood is swarming with media talking to neighbours to ask about the Allen family.

Neighbours seem shocked - they think Cole lives in the house with his parents - many wave to him regularly but didn’t know him well.

Several neighbours complain about helicopters flying above their homes late last night, shortly after the shooting at the dinner in Washington.

There are three vehicles outside the home – two cars and a scooter – but no one answered the door when we knocked.

A stack of journalists’ business cards are left on the front porch.

A poster for a judge running for election is on display in the front yard with the tag line “equal justice for all”.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles's state visit to the US "will proceed as planned".

In a statement, it says the decision follows "discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day".

The palace says that "the King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case, and are looking forward to the visit getting under way tomorrow".

The King and Queen are due to travel to the US for a four-day state visit on Monday - their agenda includes a meeting with Donald Trump at the White House.

• Read more: King's US visit will go ahead as planned, Buckingham Palace says

BBC reporters were at the correspondents' dinner when shots were fired last night. Here's a recap of what they saw and heard:

• Chief North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue heard "the low booming noise" associated with automatic fire. Those on stage at the dinner, including the president and senior officials, were "taken off immediately", he says
• Washington correspondent Daniel Bush described "widespread confusion" as attendees "ducked under tables"
• An agent climbed over several tables to get to FBI Director Kash Patel, says reporter Bernd Debusmann Jr. Presenter Sumi Somaskanda says Patel "quickly covered his girlfriend with his body"
• In a room full of journalists, "everyone... was reporting the news", says reporter Indrani Basu
• State Department correspondent Tom Bateman filmed what was happening and got pulled out of the room when trying to send the video. He heard an agent saying: "This is now a crime scene, you’ve got to get out"
• Once other attendees were ushered out of the room, people were "asking if others [were] okay and giving hugs", says reporter Cai Pigliucci

"Last night's shooting at the Washington Hilton was a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance", the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) says in a statement.

The president of the association, Weijia Jiang, says the actions of Secret Service and law enforcement "protected thousands of guests". She also wishes the injured officer a "full and speedy recovery".

"Our dinner exists to celebrate the First Amendment and the hard daily work of the journalists who defend it. Last night, those journalists showed exactly the kind of calm and courage that work demands," she says.

"We are proud of everyone in that room", she adds.

Image source, Reuters

More now from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Speaking to ABC This Week, he says it appears the Secret Service agent who was shot during the incident was shot by the alleged gunman - and not by friendly fire from other agents.

But he adds that this is not yet confirmed and the details are still being investigated

He has been speaking to a number of US broadcasters today. In an interview with the BBC's US partner CBS News, Blanche says it's understood that no one else was injured apart from the Secret Service agent, who he describes as being "in great spirits".

He says tragedy was avoided "because he was wearing a bulletproof vest".

Image source, Reuters

Speaking to CBS Face the Nation this morning, Maryland Democratic Rep Jamie Raskin says Trump's comments since the shooting have been a "welcome change in rhetoric".

Raskin, who attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner, says he hopes the incident fuels a national bipartisan conversation about how to improve public safety for everyone.

"We have said all along that we need every politician in the country, every leader in the country, every citizen in the country denouncing political violence across the board, regardless of where it's coming from," he says.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

Image source, Reuters

We're now getting more details of the security that was present at the White House Correspondents' Dinner - and in retrospect, many will be wondering whether it was adequate.

The hotel was closed to the public from about 14:00 local time (19:00 BST), with entry restricted to hotel guests and those with tickets to the event or one of several private receptions that took place before and after the main event.

Personally, I found it slightly odd to walk into the main lobby of the hotel at about 17:30 (22:30 BST) and see hotel guests eating and drinking in the lobby just feet away from prominent politicians and members of the media.

Invitations were not checked at the hotel entrance, although I did have to flash it to a guard briefly to enter the property. There are no names on the tickets - only table numbers - and at no point was I asked to show any form of identification.

Only once did guests pass through metal detectors, just before entering a large waiting area where drinks were served. The shooting took place in this area, which was up a flight of stairs from the actual ballroom.

Several people I have spoken to, however, recall being slightly surprised at how that security sweep was carried out.

One friend of mine told me this morning that the metal detector went off because of a vaping device in his pocket, but was waved through after explaining to the officer what it was.

Shaimaa Khalil
Reporting from outside the Washington Hilton hotel

Image source, Reuters

It’s a cold Sunday morning outside the Washington Hilton hotel. The metal barricades and big plastic blockades still line up the street opposite the building.

It’s quiet here with a few people milling about and journalists setting up - a contrast to the chaos of last night.

Washington is taking stock of a dramatic and shocking night at one of the most high-profile events in this city. An event designed to celebrate journalism ended up being a massive breaking story.

This ballroom was meant to be one of the safest, most secure rooms in the country.

The director of the Secret Service as well as other law enforcement officials have said that the way the events unfolded shows that the security plan did work.

The gunman was apprehended and prevented from getting into the ballroom. The president himself said he was satisfied with their performance - but make no mistake, Trump’s security is now under scrutiny.

Because at the heart of all of this is a massive security breach in a room that had the president, the vice-president, the first lady, the speaker of the house and other senior cabinet members all in one room - where shots were fired very close to them.

Image source, Reuters

We've just heard Donald Trump give his first interview since last night's shooting. Here's a recap of the key points:

• Trump said he and the first lady are fine after what was a "very sad evening in many ways"
• He said the alleged gunman had "hatred in his heart" and was "strongly anti-Christian" - as a reminder, police said earlier that the motive remains unknown
• He praised the Secret Service, saying the suspect came running in like "an NFL running back" and they "stopped him cold"
• He reiterates comments made via Truth Social earlier today, saying the White House ballroom is needed to avoid future security issues
• On the upcoming state visit, he says King Charles III is still coming and "we're gonna have a great time"

Image source, PA Media

Trump is asked if King Charles III and Queen Camilla's visit to the US will continue as planned.

The King is still coming, Trump answers.

"He's a great guy, and we look forward to it. He's really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative, and he's brave," Trump says.

The King has been a fan of his for a long time, Trump says.

"We're gonna have a great time. And he represents his nation like nobody else can do it," Trump adds.

Asked again about the alleged gunman's motive, Trump says the suspect appears to have had "hatred in his heart for a while".

He says it was a "religious thing" and "strongly anti-Christian".

• As a reminder, the police earlier said the suspect's motive remains unknown

"He's got some big problems with the rest of his life", Trump says.

Trump adds that he didn't know quite how dangerous his job was when he ran for president.

"If you're a consequential president you're in much more danger than if you're not a consequential president", he says.

Trump is then asked about his immediate response to the shooting - and whether he had been told there was no additional threat when he indicated he wanted to continue the night.

He says: "I hated a guy like this... changing the course of our country". He says everyone would have had to leave - "what, for one nut?"

Trump adds that he "really wanted" to continue the event but the protocol was no.

The room was sealed but once the door was opened, it would have broken the seal, he says.

Officials "did the right thing" by going back to the White House for a news conference, he adds.

He says he hopes the rescheduled event can take place soon, adding that he was going to "really rip it" in last night's planned speech.

Asked if he has concerns about holding the rescheduled event at the Hilton again, Trump says it's always tough when you have a thousand rooms.

He also reiterates his past comments on the need for a secure ballroom at the White House, which he says is under construction ahead of schedule and on budget.

Trump is then asked if he's hopeful that last night's incident will push Congress to approve funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service and has been locked in a funding dispute for months.

Trump doesn't directly answer the question, and instead pivots to talking about what a great job law enforcement agents are doing.

He also adds that the suspect is "a sick guy" and "a very troubled guy" who "hates Christians".

Image source, Reuters

US President Donald Trump is currently speaking to Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich for his first interview since last night's incident.

Trump says he and the first lady are fine after what he describes as a "very sad evening in many ways", but also one where "many people got together".

He is asked about the suspect of the shooting and his motive amid reports that he had a manifesto in his hotel room saying he wanted to target Trump administration officials.

The president is also asked about reports suggesting the alleged gunman's brother notified New London Police about his plans prior to last night's incident.

"I heard about the [New] London situation and I wish they would have told us about it a little bit," Trump says, adding that "it is what it is".

He praises the Secret Service and all law enforcement as "outstanding", adding that the suspect came running in like "an NFL running back" and they "stopped him cold".

"He never came close to getting through the door or close to the door," he says.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter

Image source, Reuters

There is an odd feeling in Washington this morning, now about 14 hours since the shooting took place.

Many reporters and other attendees at the dinner have been exchanging messages, describing what they saw from their vantage points and how the rest of their evening went.

Many - perhaps most - of the journalists immediately got to work last night, sprinting or biking to the White House or their bureaus in their evening wear.

But now that things are calmer, many are trying to piece together the evening.

Small details that one might not have remembered in the moment are beginning to emerge.

In my own case, I've now realised that I missed being much closer to the shooting by just a few moments.

A friend of mine - a journalist at a European broadcaster - reminded me that we both had a brief conversation while walking to the bathrooms, which were located just feet from where the incident took place. I made it back to my seat, but she was forced to shelter in place in the bathroom.

Several after parties still took place last night amid hightened security measures, and a general absence of reporters. Others are planned for today.

The shooting will dominate conversation in Washington today.

There are no public events or remarks on President Trump's public schedule today, although he is expected to give a television interview shortly.

Image source, Reuters

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says what was supposed to be a fun evening was "hijacked by a depraved crazy person who sought to assassinate the President and kill as many top Trump administration officials as possible".

Leavitt says in a statement on X that she was with the president back stage "after we were quickly ushered to safety by Secret Service", adding that he was "truly fearless".

She reiterates Trump's comments that "this political violence needs to end", and thanks "law enforcement for keeping all of us safe".