Gala shooting suspect charged with attempt to murder Trump
What you need to know
- A 31-year-old suspect in the shooting at the Washington, DC, media event, made his first court appearance
- He was charged with the attempted murder of Trump, who was present at the gala
- Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla are headed to the US on a four-day state visit
- Sam Altman and Elon Musk are headed to court in a high-stakes showdown over artificial intelligence
Follow our live coverage of the many different strands of news dominating headlines in the United States on April 27:
Skip next section King Charles III arrives in US04/27/2026April 27, 2026King Charles III arrives in US
Britain's King Charles III arrived in the US on Monday with Queen Camilla.
The royal couple are on a four-day trip to the US.
The state visit is by far the most high-profile of Charles' reign so far. It marks the 250th anniversary of the US declaration of independence from British rule.
It is the first British monarch's visit to the US in two decades.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CuFtSkip next section Gala shooting suspect charged with attempted assassination of Trump04/27/2026April 27, 2026Gala shooting suspect charged with attempted assassination of Trump
The suspect in the shooting that occurred during the White House correspondents' dinner on Saturday was on Monday charged with the attempted assassination of US President Donald Trump.
Court proceedings showed the suspect also faced other charges, including two firearms crimes.
If convicted, the 31-year-old suspect would face a sentence of up to life in prison.
He made his first court appearance on Monday.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CuF5Skip next section Trump calls for Jimmy Kimmel sacking over gala parody04/27/2026April 27, 2026Trump calls for Jimmy Kimmel sacking over gala parody
US President Donald Trump has joined his wife Melania in condemning late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel over a parody of the gala correspondents' dinner.
Days before the Washington dinner, where a shooting attack took place, Kimmel did a parody of the gala, called "Alternative Correspondents' White House dinner."
He roasted Trump and Melania, with footage of Trump smiling and clapping overcasting his speech, to mockingly mimic the actual gala, followed by another video of Melania, when he thanked her for her presence. The stunt was clearly presented as a parody, by no means suggesting the president and first lady were present during Kimmel's roast.
Still, Trump said Kimmel "showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren't, and never would be."
The president was particularly irked by Kimmel describing Melania as "an expectant widow," suggesting a link between his words and the shooting days later.
The White House has described the shooting as the third major assassination attempt against Trump. The alleged shooter's motive is not clear.
"Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, echoing earlier sentiments by Melania (see below.)
Trump: White House gala shooter psychologically unwell
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https://p.dw.com/p/5CuCuSkip next section White House blames 'left-wing cult of hatred' for gala shooting04/27/2026April 27, 2026White House blames 'left-wing cult of hatred' for gala shooting
The White House has blamed what it called a "left-wing cult of hatred" for a shooting incident at a gala correspondents dinner in Washington DC, where US President Donald Trump was present.
"The left-wing cult of hatred against the president and all of those who support him and work for him has gotten multiple people hurt and killed, and it almost did so again this weekend," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.
Leavitt described the incident as the third major assassination attempt against Trump.
She said that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will convene a meeting with officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the US Secret Service and the White House operations team to "ensure the safety and the security of the president."
Trump believes security protocols during the incident worked, Leavitt said. However, she did not rule out possible changes to further improve the president's safety and security.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CuA0Skip next section Sandwiches and scones; UK embassy in DC busy with King Charles afternoon tea menu04/27/2026April 27, 2026Sandwiches and scones; UK embassy in DC busy with King Charles afternoon tea menu
The British Embassy in Washington on Monday has a daunting job head, preparing a traditional afternoon tea for a whopping 650 guests, including King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
On X, the embassy posted a lighthearted video showing the full process of preparing the meal, featuring the embassy's head chef, Craig Harnden.
The menu includes four different types of tea sandwiches, scones and desserts, as well as "several British flavors from smoked Scottish salmon to British Beef!" the embassy wrote.
"We'll be making approximately 2,500 to 3,000 individual sandwiches," Harnden says in the video. "The calculation is based on experience and a little bit of luck."
The British king and queen are arriving in the US capital on Monday for a four-day visit meant to smooth tensions between the two nations amid Trump's controversial war on Iran, which has further widened a growing rift with Europe.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CtftSkip next section Melania Trump berates Jimmy Kimmel monologue ahead of shooting04/27/2026April 27, 2026Melania Trump berates Jimmy Kimmel monologue ahead of shooting
US First Lady Melania Trump on Monday lashed out at late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel over a critical monologue he delivered before the weekend DC gala shooting.
In a parody of the gala event, Kimmel took jabs at Donald and Melania Trump, telling the first lady: "you have a glow like an expectant widow."
Melania Trump called for Kimmel to be taken off the ABC network.
"Kimmel's hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country. His monologue about my family isn't comedy — his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America," she wrote on X.
Kimmel was temporarily taken off air last year over comments he made on the death by assassination of Trump supporter Charlie Kirk.
On his first appearance after the suspension, Kimmel stressed his intention was not to make light of anybody's murder, stressing the right to a free press and calling his suspension "illegal" under the US constitution.
Trump calls for crackdown on critical TV networks
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https://p.dw.com/p/5CtsySkip next section DW reporter describes the night when gunman opened fire at correspondents' dinner04/27/2026April 27, 2026DW reporter describes the night when gunman opened fire at correspondents' dinner
DW reporter Janelle Dumalaon, also at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, describes what she heard and saw the night a gunman opened fire at the event.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CtRkSkip next section What DW's Washington bureau chief saw during night of correspondents' dinner04/27/2026April 27, 2026What DW's Washington bureau chief saw during night of correspondents' dinner
DW's Washington bureau chief Ines Pohl describes the scenes that unfolded at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CtPoSkip next section Trump berates '60 Minutes' correspondent for reading alleged shooter's manifesto04/27/2026April 27, 2026
Trump berates '60 Minutes' correspondent for reading alleged shooter's manifesto
President Donald Trump berated CBS News correspondent Norah O'Donnell in an interview recorded Sunday afternoon at the White House after she quoted parts of the alleged manifesto of the suspected shooter who tried to storm the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night.
Trump initially expressed a sense of solidarity with members of the press after the event on Saturday but appeared irked when O'Donnell quoted the alleged gunman's words directly, saying, "I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes."
"Well, I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would because you're horrible people," Trump told O'Donnell after being asked for his reaction. "Horrible people. Yeah, he did write that. I'm not a rapist. I didn't rape anybody," he said.
O'Donnell interjected, "Oh, do you think he was referring to you?" But the president blew past her question, saying, "I'm not a pedophile."
O'Donnell then tried to tell Trump she was just quoting the shooter's alleged words, but Trump called her "disgraceful."
"You shouldn't be reading that on '60 Minutes.' You're a disgrace. But go ahead. Let's finish the interview," he said.
The suspect was identified as Cole A., a teacher and engineer from California, by multiple media outlets. The shooter emailed the alleged manifesto to his family minutes before the attack, CBS News reported.
Editor's note: In accordance with the German Press Code, DW refrains from publishing the full names of crime suspects and victims.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CspJSkip next section King Charles III heads to Washington, DC, despite shooting incident04/27/2026April 27, 2026King Charles III heads to Washington, DC, despite shooting incident
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla are going ahead with a planned four-day visit to Washington, DC, and other locations to celebrate the 250th anniversary of US independence and the US-UK "special relationship."
Their state visit, scheduled from Monday through Thursday, comes after a shooting at a dinner attended by President Donald Trump sparked a last-minute security review of the trip.
Buckingham Palace said the king "is greatly relieved to hear that the president, first lady and all guests have been unharmed." After the review, the palace said the trip "will proceed as planned."
The stakes for Charles' visit were already high because of the bumpy status of the "special relationship" between the US and UK in recent months.
Trump has repeatedly attacked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not joining the US-Israeli war on Iran, dismissing Britain's leader as "not Winston Churchill," the World War II prime minister who coined the phrase "special relationship" to describe the US-UK bond.
As monarch, Charles is expected to stay above politics and represents the UK but does not speak for its government.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Cs2hSkip next section Elon Musk and Sam Altman's bitter feud is headed to court04/27/2026April 27, 2026Elon Musk and Sam Altman's bitter feud is headed to court
Tech titans Elon Musk and Sam Altman are set to face off in court Monday in a case centered on OpenAI's transition to a firm that prioritizes making money over public service.
Altman and Musk founded OpenAI in 2015. The company released its artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, ChatGPT, in 2022.
Musk alleges that Altman, OpenAI's CEO, broke the company's founding statement by breaching the motto "to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return."
Altman and OpenAI have brushed off Musk's allegations as an unfounded case of sour grapes aimed at undercutting OpenAI's rapid growth and bolstering Musk's own AI venture, xAI, which he launched in 2023.
Musk left OpenAI in 2018 after internal disputes.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Cs7cSkip next section Suspect in shooting at correspondents' dinner expected to be formally charged Monday04/27/2026April 27, 2026Suspect in shooting at correspondents' dinner expected to be formally charged Monday
A suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night has been identified as a teacher and engineer who traveled from California.
The alleged gunman is expected to be arraigned on Monday on two preliminary charges that include using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, according to US Attorney for District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro.
The high-profile dinner, with President Donald Trump and other senior members in attendance, honors journalism every year.
DW correspondents: '6 or 7 very loud shots in the corridor'
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This was the first time Trump was attending the event as president. He was rushed off the stage as guests ducked under tables amid loud bangs that were later confirmed to have been gunshots.
The alleged shooter's motive is not clear.
Editor's note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and urges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CrvTSkip next section Welcome to our blog04/27/2026April 27, 2026Welcome to our blog
Roshni Majumdar | Louis Oelofse EditorWe are covering developments related to the shooting at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, DC, which President Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended.
The Trumps were not harmed, and neither were Cabinet members or other guests. A Secret Service officer was injured during an exchange of gunfire with the suspected shooter and is now recovering.
In other news, Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla are headed to the US for a four-day state visit. Tech titans Sam Altman and Elon Musk are also taking their long-running bitter feud to court.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CsA3Show more posts