On Saturday night, Washington was rocked by a shooting that interrupted the traditional White House Correspondents‘ Association gala at the Washington Hilton. At approximately 8:40 p.m. local time, shots rang out at the main security checkpoint with metal detectors, while inside the ballroom the gala dinner was just reaching its peak. Trump, who was seated on stage next to First Lady Melania, was immediately surrounded by Secret Service agents and escorted to a secure area of the hotel.
This was Trump's first ever attendance at this prestigious event as a sitting president - a historical irony made all the more powerful by the fact that it ended in chaos and evacuation. Along with him, Vice President J.D. Vance, cabinet ministers and House Speaker Mike Johnson were hurried away. Hundreds of guests rushed under tables as agents shouted „shots fired.“.
The assailant, identified by police as Cole Thomas Allen, a 31-year-old man from Torrance, California, attacked a security checkpoint in the hotel lobby armed with multiple weapons. According to Washington police, he first went through an outside checkpoint as a guest of the hotel - he was staying there - before pulling out his weapons at an inside security checkpoint. He exchanged gunfire with Secret Service officers, was pulled to the ground and detained. He never made it to the banquet hall.
One agent was hit, but was protected by a bulletproof vest. At a later White House press conference, Trump described the shooter as a „lone wolf“ and added that he had spoken to the agent on the phone - the man was said to be in „great shape“. He praised the entire response team: „It was exemplary.“ No other injuries were reported.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced that Allen faces two charges: using a firearm in a violent crime and assaulting a federal agent with a dangerous weapon. The FBI seized a long gun at the scene, has begun a ballistics examination and is calling for witnesses to share information. A court appearance has been scheduled for Monday.
Trump hinted after the incident that the rescheduled dinner would be held with tighter security measures, and he did not forget to mention his long-standing intention to build a representative banquet hall right in the White House. He described the shooting as a moment that „united“ those present.
gnews.cz - GH
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