Security Breach at Trump Event

Gunshots were heard inside the Hilton ballroom, and a team rushed to escort Mr. Trump to safety.

The shots rang out after dinner began, when Donald Trump and other senior US officials were chatting.

One level above, secret agents were chasing a man with a shotgun, handgun, and knives who had breached a security checkpoint.

Get the latest news on the White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting.

The man ran through a hallway, passed elevators, and reached the anteroom where politicians, diplomats, and journalists had stood earlier.

A digital rendering of the Washington Hilton floor plan is available.

A team rushed to escort Mr. Trump and the first lady to safety.

Others quickly ducked under tables, and journalists tried to make sense of the commotion.

Guests took cover as Secret Service agents rushed the president and vice-president from the dinner.

The suspect headed toward stairs that would have taken him to the room where guests were served a spring pea and burrata salad.

He was tackled face-first into the carpet and put in handcuffs.

The alleged gunman, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president.

US President Donald Trump posted a picture of the suspected shooter on social media.

The acting attorney-general said the shooter likely targeted administration officials, including the president.

The incident has sparked memories of the assassination attempt on Mr. Trump at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.

Two months later, he was again the target of a would-be assassin at his Florida golf course.

The correspondents' dinner was his first as president. Mr. Trump boycotted the event during his first term.

He said the event was very unexpected.

A Secret Service officer was shot but was saved by his bulletproof vest. No one was seriously injured.

The Secret Service quickly moved to lock down the hotel, and the dinner was postponed.

The acting attorney-general reassured viewers that the security system worked.

Not everyone in attendance shared that sentiment.

A former Republican Senate nominee said security was nearly non-existent.

The incident has raised questions about the level of security around the US president.

Trump and Vance were pulled from the room in different directions.

The annual gala was hosted by the Hilton.

The 60-year-old hotel has been the scene of violence in the past.

It was the site of an attempted assassination that left then-president Ronald Reagan seriously injured in 1981.

Mr. Reagan was shot in the rib and rushed to hospital.

The Secret Service added a garage to the hotel after the shooting.

This time, however, the danger lurked inside.

Videos show Secret Service agents responding to the intruder threat by grabbing the US president and the first lady.

Thousands of influential players in Washington filed into a ballroom with the US president. Then shots rang out.

A former Secret Service agent said the detail responded quickly and efficiently.

The president and vice-president were taken off the stage in different directions.

Mr. Vance's detail was quicker to get him out, with the president falling as he was escorted by security.

Mr. Trump said he might have caused the minor delay in exiting the room.

He wanted to see what was happening and wasn't making it easy for the agents.

The measures in place

The Hilton does not close to other guests when it hosts the correspondents' dinner.

Access to the event is restricted.

The Secret Service does not like to shut down the entire hotel for a separate event.

Security is focused on the ballroom where the correspondents' dinner is held.

The hotel has more than 1,100 guest rooms and suites, as well as 47 meeting rooms.

The Secret Service may review how to enhance security in situations like this.

In the past, protesters have caused disruptions in the lobby and other public spaces.

Guests and event attendees could pass through checkpoints by showing a copy of their dinner ticket.

The ABC's Americas editor was inside the ballroom when a shooting suspect was stopped.

He said all he needed to get in was a ticket, which did not have a name on it.

A former Republican Senate nominee said nobody asked to inspect her ticket or photo identification.

She said all one had to do was flash what appeared to be a ticket, and they were fine with that.

You would think they would have better security.

A senator said the venue wasn't built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the US government.

He was referring to how five of the top six officials in line to the US presidency attended the event.

A former Secret Service agent said the president has many cabinet members at events.

It's similar to the State of the Union or an inauguration, where many people are in one area.

The White House Correspondents' Association dinner was not designated a National Special Security Event.

Designated events are granted by the Department of Homeland Security and can receive federal funding for additional security.

A Secret Service spokesperson said they did not make these designations.

Some American news outlets brought security detail inside the ballroom with attendees.

The security breach inside

The alleged gunman traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington before the shooting.

He checked into a room at the same venue as the Washington dinner one or two days before the incident.

The authorities believe the two firearms he had on him were purchased within the past couple of years.

They do not think anybody else was involved in the incident.

The alleged gunman likely walked through the front lobby, which was not secured for the event.

Shattered glass was found near the ballroom at the Washington Hilton hotel.

There is no law or policy that requires guests to declare if they are carrying weapons when checking in.

The Secret Service may not have swept every single room in the hotel.

Guests and visitors could access the Hilton's lobby and lower levels on the night of the event.

Attendees took a set of stairs to the international ballroom, where the function was held.

The alleged gunman wrote in a manifesto that he expected security cameras and armed agents everywhere.

Details from the life of the alleged gunman paint a picture of a high achiever who turned to political violence.

The alleged writings were published by The New York Post and have not been independently verified.

The suspect wrote in an apparent manifesto that he found nothing.

The acting attorney-general said law enforcement met all the standards for an event of that magnitude.

He said you cannot stop living and being in public, and you must create an environment that keeps people safe.

Trump says this is why we need the ballroom

Despite Mr. Trump being happy with how the Secret Service responded, many questions remain unanswered.

The president has used the opportunity to promote his controversial White House ballroom.

Donald Trump takes questions from White House reporters after the shooting.

The president said we need the ballroom, and the Secret Service and military are demanding it.

A former Secret Service agent said the president has a point about needing a large venue.

He thinks the president will use this point to continue building the ballroom on the east side of the White House.

A review of the incident by the FBI's criminal investigation and terrorism taskforce is underway.

The FBI director said they will be talking about how to improve security, not just for this event, but for all events going forward.

We're going to learn from this one.

The White House said the president's chief of staff will convene a meeting about the president's security.

The American people should be assured that there is no higher priority for the president and his staff than the president's safety.

Leaders from the Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service, and the White House will take part in the meeting.

A former Secret Service agent said there will be a tightness around the president in the near future.

He said this is likely due to King Charles III and Queen Camilla's state visit to the United States.

There will be a very strong, very robust security element in and around their visit.

The royal visitors already face a diplomatic challenge to resolve political tensions between the US and the UK.

Now, there is an added layer of security concerns to the existing complexities.

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