Gunman Breaches Security at Correspondents Dinner, Arrested

A gunman armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives forced his way through a Secret Service checkpoint at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday evening, April 25, exchanging fire with security personnel before being tackled and arrested at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.

The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, breached the outer lobby around 8:36 p.m. local time, prompting an immediate evacuation of the ballroom where more than 2,500 guests, including President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, cabinet members, and journalists, were gathered. Trump was attending the annual event for the first time as a sitting president and the first such dinner since 2011. Witnesses reported hearing at least five loud bangs as armed officers rushed into the room, flipping tables and directing people to take cover. No guests were injured, but a Secret Service officer was struck in the chest during the exchange; the bulletproof vest protected him, and he was treated at a hospital before being released.

Allen, who had no prior criminal record and was not previously known to law enforcement in the area, faces...