US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington by Secret Service agents ​on Saturday night after a man opened fire on security personnel nearby, reported Reuters.

The man fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a checkpoint in the Washington Hilton ‌hotel before being tackled and arrested.

A law enforcement official identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, a Los Angeles-area resident about 31 years of age. He is to be charged on Monday.

A source told the Associated Press that the President and members of his administration are all safe and none were injured in the incident.

A suspect was in custody, the FBI said, after the annual black tie dinner honoring the White House press corps in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton was suddenly interrupted by confusion and chaos. Journalists ducked under tables, reported The Guardian.

Muriel Bowser, the Washington DC mayor, said that a sole gunman rushed at the Secret Service in the lobby of the hotel. There is no reason to believe that anyone else was involved in the incident, she said.

Secret Service agents swiftly moved to shield Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other senior officials before escorting them to safety. Armed officers rushed through the venue and secured the perimeter.

The first indications that something had gone wrong came from a series of audible but mysterious thuds. Dinner chatter paused, said a guest, talking to Reuters.

The silence was broken when the doors crashed open to the giant ballroom at the Washington Hilton, where some 2,600 journalists and their guests - dressed with rare pomp in tuxedos and gowns - had just sat down for the salad courses and glasses of wine.

Elegantly uniformed waiters soon charged down the middle aisle. Some officers drew handguns.

Still others materialized seemingly from nowhere in full tactical gear, long guns trained on the astonished, alarmed attendees, most of whom were diving to the floor, crawling under tables and chairs for safety.

The suspect — who is in custody — will be charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, reported CNN, citing US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. 

A law enforcement official has identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, a Los Angeles-area resident about 31 years of age.

Little was immediately known about Allen's background, but social media postings suggested he was a teacher in Torrance, California near Los Angeles.

The shooting suspect told law enforcement following his arrest that he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials, CBS News reported on Sunday, citing two sources.

In a press briefing from the White House later Saturday evening, Trump praised the Secret Service and said an agent was hit by a bullet that was stopped by a ballistic vest. The violence took place “quite far away”, he said.

“That was very unexpected but incredibly acted upon by Secret Service and law enforcement, and this was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press,” he said. “And in a certain way, it did, because the fact that they just unified. I saw a room that was just totally unified.

Tonight, a coward attempted to create a national tragedy. He underestimated the protective capabilities of the US Secret Service, and was stopped at first contact," said a statement from Deputy Director Matthew Quinn.

The "strength of our layered security posture was evident," stated Quinn, who noted that there was "a myriad of countermeasures still ahead."

Grateful for the brave men and women of the Secret Service and our valued Law Enforcement partners," he added.