Image source, Getty Images

Trump is asked by a reporter if he has any thoughts on why attempts have been made on his life.

There have been two assassination attempts on Trump in recent years - police have yet to say what the motive of the shooter was tonight.

Trump says he has studied assassinations, and he says he believes people go after those who have made "the biggest impact". He references President Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated.

He says it's the "big names" who are targeted.

"I hate so say I'm honoured by that," he says, adding that his administration has done a lot for the country but some people are not happy about it.

Trump says he was all prepared to give his speech at the dinner before shots rung out.

"I was all set to really rip it, and I said to my people, 'this would be the most inappropriate speech ever made' if I said so."

But, he says, "I don't know if I could ever be as rough as I was going to be tonight".

For his speech at the rescheduled event, he says, "I'm going to be probably very nice. I'll be very boring the next time, but we're going to have a great event".

Image source, Getty Images

The president is now taking question from reporters.Trump says the event will be rescheduled for a later date adding that the experience was a traumatic experience for First Lady Melania Trump.

"We are not going to let anybody take over our society," he says.

The president says he initially didn't want to leave. "I fought like hell to stay," he says. But he was advice that it was protocol to leave because it was unclear if it was a lone shooter.

Attorney General Todd Blanche adds that charges will be filed shortly – and they're self-evident.

He says FBI and Secret Service agents are still at the Washington Hilton combing through the scene.

"I promise justice will be served," Blanche said.

We're now hearing from acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who says tonight brought out the best and the worst of the country.

He says the best of the country were the law enforcement agents who did exactly the job they were supposed to do.

He adds that what they did will be visible in videos available to the public.

Trump says the suspect, who has been taken into custody, was "a very sick person".

"We don't want things like this to happen," he says.

He also thanks the event's representatives who "did a beautiful job with a beautiful evening" that was focused on free speech and the constitution.

The event will be rescheduled in the next 30 days, he says adding that it will be "bigger and better and even nicer".

Trump also thanks the media, who he says were "very responsible" in their coverage of the situation.

Trump says this is not the first time in the last couple years that a Republican has been attacked by a "would-be-assassin".

He references two times someone sought to kill him before he was re-elected, including at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvannia, and another time while Trump was golfing in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump makes reference to the White House ball room under construction.

He says law enforcement have been wanting for a ball room for "150 years".

Tonight's shooting "is why we have all the attributes of what we're planning at the White House", the president says.

"We need levels of security that you've never seen before."

Washington DC police chief will speak soon.

Trump says that one Secret Service officer was shot from a very close distance in the incident, but saved by his bullet-proof vest.

"I just spoke to the officer, and he's doing great," Trump says. "He has very high spirits, and we told him we love him and respect him, and he's a very proud guy."

The president says he has just posted on social media a picture of the man in custody and security camera footage of what appears to be the start of the shooting.

He says he shared it in the interest of transparency.

Image source, Donald Trump/Truth Social

A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, Trump says, adding that he was taken down by "some very brave members" of the Secret Service.

Trump is at the podium with the homeland security secretary and the FBI director.

"This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was meant to unify," he says

President Trump is now briefing reporters from the White House.

Watch Live at the top of this page.

As we wait to hear from President Trump, the FBI has confirmed that a suspect is in custody after shots were fired at the hotel where the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner was taking place.

Here is the full statement:

Morgan Gisholt Minard
BBC News, reporting from the White House

Image source, Morgan Gisholt Minard

I'm at the White House now - we are awaiting President Trump's remarks in the briefing room, due to begin any minute now.

It's standing room only in this briefing room crammed with reporters in black tie apparel.

Image source, Reuters

President Donald Trump is expected to speak shortly from the White House briefing room, after gunshots were heard at the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton.

Reporters are gathering in the room, still wearing their tuxes and formal attire from the dinner, to listen to the briefing.

We'll continue bringing you updates here, and you can watch live at the top of this page.

Catherine Alaimo
Reporting from the White House Correspondents' Dinner

Image source, Getty Images

I was having dinner on my break from volunteering at the White House Correspondents' Dinner when I heard a few loud bangs in quick succession.

The shots sounded very close to us. One of the other volunteers yelled, "it's a gun!" We then ran to the emergency exit and sheltered there until the SWAT team left.

Gary O’Donoghue
Chief North America Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

It was about 20:35 local time and we were sitting about 40ft from the stage. We were on table 95.

The main doors to the ballroom were ahead of me - maybe 100ft or so.

What we heard were some noises from that direction. It wasn’t clear what those noises were, but it was the low booming noise which is associated with automatic fire.

We don’t know if that was coming from the Secret Service, but we’re being told now by the White House pool that an armed man did try to get through the magnetometers at the entrance and was apprehended by the Secret Service and the law enforcement team.

We don’t know who he was or what state he’s in now.

The contingent on the stage were taken off immediately. I spoke to Robert F Kennedy just before the dinner. I asked him if he was looking forward to it, and he said ‘I’m really hungry, we should get on with it’.

He was one of those on the stage we understand was taken into a side room.

Daniel Bush
Reporting from the White House Correspondents' Dinner

Image source, Getty Images

Major questions remain surrounding this shooting incident, but in the immediate aftermath it has already raised concerns around the security arrangements for the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

The event at the Washington Hilton is attended most years by the president and several Cabinet secretaries and other senior administration officials, in addition to hundreds of journalists.

Attendees are required to go through airport-style security to gain access to the main ballroom where the dinner takes place. There is also security outside of the hotel itself.

In theory, it should be as secure an event as possible in Washington. There haven’t been any similar incidents at past White House correspondent dinners. But the fact that it happened tonight will no doubt put a spotlight on security at this event going forward.

A number of lawmakers have posted statements on social media about tonight's dinner.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says he is "closely monitoring the unfolding situation at the White House Correspondents Dinner".

"I’m grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and am praying everyone remains safe," he says.

Republican Senator Rand Paul says: "Thank God the President and all of the attendees tonight are safe."

Republican Representative Nancy Mace says Americans should "pray for President Trump and for our country right now".