- President Donald Trump applauded the Secret Service and law enforcement for responding quickly as a shooting incident unfolded at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel on Saturday evening, prompting the evacuation of senior officials.
- The shooting suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California, breached a security checkpoint armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives, discharging shots and injuring a Secret Service agent.
- The Secret Service agent sustained a close-range gunshot wound, but their bulletproof vest successfully stopped the projectile, with President Trump later confirming the agent was in ”great shape” and “good spirits”.
- President Trump, attending the annual event for the first time since his 2016 election, first believed someone had dropped a tray, but was quickly removed from the venue and subsequently commended the swift and courageous response of the Secret Service and law enforcement.
- Allen was apprehended, transported to hospital, and has since been charged with two federal offences, including the use of a firearm during a violent crime and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, leading to the cancellation of the dinner.
IN FULL
