Last night, April 25th, the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner was held and attended by President Donald Trump, and was interrupted by a since handled security incident.
The event was organized as an annual event to honor journalism and the first one Trump attended since becoming president. According to AP News, a man had charged through the lobby towards the ballroom while armed with guns and knives and was intercepted by Secret Service agents. Officials stated the suspect was a guest at the Washington Hilton where the dinner was being held and is expected to be in court on Monday, April 27th. Trump stated he hoped to have the dinner event be rescheduled within 30 days.
In an article posted by Eric McDaniel with NPR, President Trump and the First Lady, along with all other guests, were unharmed. One Secret Service agent took a shot in his bulletproof vest but was said to be “doing great” according to Trump. According to NPR, the suspect was apprehended and believed to have gained no injuries but was still taken to the hospital out of precaution.
Another article from AP News written by Curits Yee followed the scene and provided updates. The suspect was identified to be 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen. The U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that Allen would be preliminarily charged with two charges in relation to usage of a firearm and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, however other charges could be filed at a later time.
