WASHINGTON DC — Mentalist Oz Pearlman took cover on the floor as gunshots rang out at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington on Saturday night. Pearlman was performing a mind-reading trick for President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt when the shooting began.

Pearlman had been guessing Leavitt's baby's name by writing it on a piece of paper. He tore off the paper and showed the guessed name just as the gunshots sounded.

Video footage showed Pearlman standing behind three VIPs seated at a table on an elevated stage at the Washington Hilton hotel. He said he was facing stage left when Secret Service agents tackled Trump next to him facing stage right.

About two seconds later, agents escorted Trump out of the room while Pearlman and two other people crawled to safety. Pearlman said the response by agents indicated they were responding to more than a single shooter. "There was about to be a bomb because of the way they were all going towards one table," he said. "It didn't feel like they were looking for a shooter. It felt like they were looking to stop something from happening."

Trump described his own actions during the incident. "I went down and the first lady went down also," he said, recalling that he told those near him, "Please go down. Please go down on the floor." He added: "I wasn't worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world."

A suspected gunman was arrested at the venue following the gunshots. Law enforcement officials identified him as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California. Police said Allen exchanged fire with security agents on the floor above the room where Trump had gathered with other attendees. After his arrest, Allen told officials he wanted to shoot officials in the Trump administration. He will be formally charged at a hearing in Washington later on Monday.