For Oz Pearlman, Saturday night's appearance at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner was supposed to be another night spent entertaining guests. But all the changed when gunfire sent people — including President Donald Trump and top administration officials — scrambling for cover.
Pearlman, a famous mentalist who was booked as the evening's entertainer, said Sunday that he was in the middle of performing a magic trick for the president when shots rang just outside the crowded ballroom of 2,300 guests. Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Pearlman recalled the moment he and President Trump came face to face as they ducked for cover and Secret Service agents stormed the stage.
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"I was performing right then for the president, the press secretary, and the first lady. It's kind of like a pivotal moment in the trick where you're just about to do the reveal of like wow, and we hear commotion," Pearlman said. "... I personally thought like before I went down I didn't hear any shots or see what looked like a shooter. I thought there was about to be a bomb."
"They bring the president down directly in front of me and we just look at each other for about two seconds and my mind, obviously this is like a huge adrenaline, it's just like, oh no, are we about to die?" he added.
The suspected gunman, later identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrence, California, was ultimately apprehended by authorities before he was able to enter the ballroom. A Scripps News employee who attended the event also captured images of authorities apprehending the suspect near the security checkpoint.
Authorities said Allen was staying at the Washington Hilton, where the event was being held. One officer was shot in their bullet-resistant vest amid the chaos.
The suspect is charged with two counts: using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. Authorities said he was armed with a shotgun when officers tackled him to the ground. Trump also shared an image of the suspect lying face down at the hotel.
President Trump said Sunday during an interview with Fox News that the suspect had written about targeting administration officials and that his family had alerted authorities prior to his arrest. He is expected to face criminal charges on Monday.
