Trump dinner shooting as it happened: US president evacuated from White House Correspondents’ Dinner after gunshots heard

UPDATED: In some late developments, CNN is reporting that the Secret Service officer who was shot in his bulletproof vest has been released from hospital.

US President Donald Trump said earlier on today that he spoke with the officer and he was in great spirits.

That’s all we have for you tonight on our live blog.

We will have more coverage on the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and developments on the shooting at the WHCA dinner in Washington DC.

Here is a recap of the major developments today:

Thousands of motorists will pocket a one-off 20 per cent rebate on car registration in a budget sweetener to ease cost-of-living pressure as fuel prices soar.

The Victorian government is turning to car registration fees to return cash to drivers before voters head to the polls in November.

The rebate comes as governments around Australia look to reduce the cost burden on motorists caused by the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran.

Drivers will get up to $186 back on their car registration – or $372 for two cars – under the one-off rebate to be unveiled in the upcoming state budget.

Islamabad: Attempts at ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran fell flat after Tehran’s top diplomat left Pakistan and US President Donald Trump’s envoys stayed away, after he told them not to travel to Islamabad.

Trump indicated the ball was now in Iran’s court.

“If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” Trump said on social media.

The negotiations were meant to follow historic face-to-face talks earlier this month between the US, led by Vice President JD Vance, and Iran, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.

Debate is already raging about whether US President Donald Trump will be able to make good on his pledge to reschedule the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner within the next 30 days.

Some experts have said they are very doubtful that the Secret Service and other agencies will let Trump return to this dinner, especially so soon after this shooting incident.

But retired Secret Service agent Jeffrey James said Trump had always visited public events like the Super Bowl and this dinner which has been an institution in US politics for decades.

James believed Trump would return to the dinner but with increased security.

The alleged gunman who tried to storm into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington DC was a tutor and computer programmer from California.

Police have identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, who was a guest at the Washington Hilton where the annual gala dinner is held.

Interim DC Police Chief Jeffery W. Carroll alleged Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. He said investigators had no reason to believe that anyone else was involved.

Allen is facing two firearm-related charges, including using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault of a federal officer with a deadly weapon.

WASHINGTON DC: The suspect detained after a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is believed to have made it past the outermost layer of security at the event at which President Donald Trump was scheduled to speak because he was a guest of the hotel, officials said Saturday.

Security for the annual event is always tight when the president attends, especially given the venue’s history — 45 years ago, the Washington Hilton was the site of an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan — and law enforcement argued that their “multi-layered protection” worked as designed.

Still, the incident was sure to set off more questions about security around the president and political events after high-profile acts of political violence in recent years.

The interim police chief for Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, Jeffery Carroll, told reporters Saturday evening that investigators believe the suspect was staying in the hotel and that appears to be how he was able to enter the hotel at the time of the event.