Mayor Frey, Rep. Tom Emmer safe after White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting

Trump rushed to safety after gunfire at dinner

Chaos erupted at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents' Dinner as gunfire rang out in the hotel lobby, forcing President Trump, the First Lady, and 3,000 guests to scramble for cover. While no guests were injured, authorities confirmed the suspect was a guest at the hotel and was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Mayor Jacob Frey and Rep. Tom Emmer were among the attendees at Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Dinner when a gunman opened fire in the lobby of the Washington Hilton.

Frey and Emmer react after shooting

What they're saying:

In a statement to FOX 9, a spokesperson confirmed Frey was at the dinner as a guest of MSNOW. Frey says: "Countless kids across America experience the fear of gun violence every day when they go to school. That it was new to many people in the room last night who have the power to change gun laws should be a necessary wake-up call."

In a tweet, Rep. Emmer praised the actions of law enforcement in a statement, writing: "Last night, law enforcement acted swiftly to keep President Trump, the First Lady, Vice President Vance, and all of us at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner safe. Thank God for their bravery and professionalism. The coward who attempted to attack an event celebrating our constitution and American values must not deter us as a nation. Political violence will never be tolerated."

Shooting at Correspondents’ Dinner

The backstory:

According to the Associated Press, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was arrested after shots rang out in the lobby of the Washington Hilton where the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was being held.

Police said the gunman was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives. At this point, investigators believe Allen was acting alone in the attack.

He was stopped by the Secret Service and one officer was shot during the encounter, but that officer was protected by his bulletproof vest.

Allen was not struck by gunfire during the incident but was taken to the hospital for evaluation. President Trump was evacuated from the dinner and was not hurt.

Authorities say Allen had been staying as a guest at the Washington Hilton.