DC-Shooting at White House Correspondents Dinner, April 25, 2026

[nerosleuth]

The way I see it is that a security incident occurred which shouldn't have occurred in the first place.

And there will be a lot of tough questions asked about how this incident was able to occur.

 

[Oldguy]

MOO, is that if anyone has ever worked for the United States government, you would understand the incompetence of the security.

That’s a very general statement. I have worked with federal law enforcement on Social Security fraud cases-and I found them very competent.

I also had the pleasure of working closely with newly retired USSS agents who guarded the Clintons and HW/Barbara Bush. Very sharp people .

Are there “bottom feeders?” Yes, in any organization. (I once worked with an agent who refrained from going to a suspect’s house because
“It’s a bad neighborhood.”) But those folks don’t work with high level principals.

 

[IceIce9]

% in agreement. I've worked for several very large corporations over the years and they all had a rule that if all the high-ups needed to travel to attend something important... they were NOT all to take the same flights in the event a plane went down. And it's not like they were in the same sort of business to have that rule. They ran from financial to high tech. They didn't want to risk all the upper management, CEOs, CFOs, COOs, etc., to all be lost at the same time. And that's just the running of a company... not the entire country.

And in this day of Zoom? The line of succession and other cabinet members could have all attended from the safety of their homes via Zoom on a huge screen. JMO!

What if a large bomb had been set off in the hotel? He could have smuggled a bomb into his hotel room as easily as he did firearms.

Along with the tragic loss of life in general can you imagine the confusion and chaos regarding the line of succession? Huge national security risk if much of the line of succession was assassinated.

 

[Willow Knight]

Wolf Blitzer said he was right by the mens room, the bullets were so close he thought he was being shot at. Still, the gist is that he actually shot from outside the metal detectors?

Jumping off your post. Still reading, please forgive me if this has been answered.

I'm wondering if there are links or eye witness accounts of exactly what/where the shooter was aiming? Such as bullet holes in the ceiling, the walls, floor? Thus far I've heard there were five to eight shots heard, trying to find if the shooter is responsible for all those shots.

Not sure I can take another death, law enforcement or lay person, due to violence.

What we know about the suspect in shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner

The suspect was identified to CBS News by law enforcement sources as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California.

www.cbsnews.com

Secret Service Uniformed Division officers contronted and tackled the suspect moments later.

 

[NuttMegg]

Jumping off your post. Still reading, please forgive me if this has been answered.

I'm wondering if there are links or eye witness accounts of exactly what/where the shooter was aiming? Such as bullet holes in the ceiling, the walls, floor? Thus far I've heard there were five to eight shots heard, trying to find if the shooter is responsible for all those shots.

Not sure I can take another death, law enforcement or lay person, due to violence.

What we know about the suspect in shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner

The suspect was identified to CBS News by law enforcement sources as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California.

www.cbsnews.com

Secret Service Uniformed Division officers contronted and tackled the suspect moments later.

There appears to be contradictory accounts. imo. One says he used a shotgun with pellets. Another says an officer was hit by a "bullet" but it deflected off their cell phone.

Probably there was more than one person who fired, I'd guess.

Reading about his self declared motive is interesting.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

First Lady Melania Trump excoriated ABC and Jimmy Kimmel, describing the late night comedian as a "coward" whose words "are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America."

The first lady called on ABC to take action against Kimmel in a Monday morning post on the X platform.

On his show late last week, Kimmel mocked President Trump and the first lady in a parody of the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The jokes came two days before the event was abruptly canceled after an alleged gunman breached security at Washington's Hilton Hotel before being tackled by the heavy security.

First Lady Melania Trump blasts ABC, says Jimmy Kimmel 'deepens political sickness'

Melania Trump called on ABC to take action against the late night comedian after jokes last week before the Saturday night shooting scare.

www.yahoo.com

 

[shotgun09]

The Press Secretary of the WH, Karoline Leavitt will be holding a press conference at 1 pm today. She was supposed to be on Maternity leave as she's 39 weeks preggo , however she also attended the WHCA dinner on Saturday, and had to peel herself off the floor after being hustled to the ground while 39 weeks pregnant. So, there's that....

Amazing gymnastics and core strength was shown. I would have been down for the count. Just sayin

 

[Sundog]

The Press Secretary of the WH, Karoline Leavitt will be holding a press conference at 1 pm today. She was supposed to be on Maternity leave as she's 39 weeks preggo , however she also attended the WHCA dinner on Saturday, and had to peel herself off the floor after being hustled to the ground while 39 weeks pregnant. So, there'sI wo that....

Amazing gymnastics and core strength was shown. I would have been down for the count. Just sayin

I can't imagine how difficult that must have been and how frightened she must have been for the baby. I also wondered about Usha Vance, the Second Lady, but I am thinking she might not have been there. I was so worried about them, both are close to giving birth, IIRC.

 

[shotgun09]

I can't imagine how difficult that must have been and how frightened she must have been for the baby. I also wondered about Usha Vance, the Second Lady, but I am thinking she might not have been there. I was so worried about them, both are close to giving birth, IIRC.

I do not believe Usha Vance was there, however another very visibly pregnant Katie Miller ( spouse of Stephen Miller ) was shown being assisted to an upright position off the floor, while being urgently escorted out of the ballroom. So terrifying !

 

[PrairieWind]

There appears to be contradictory accounts. imo. One says he used a shotgun with pellets. Another says an officer was hit by a "bullet" but it deflected off their cell phone.

Probably there was more than one person who fired, I'd guess.

Reading about his self declared motive is interesting.

Any evidence of a second shooter?

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2048828435619852762

"The alleged gunman was brought into court for the first time on Monday in a blue prison jumpsuit and was charged with attempting to assassinate the President of the United States.

That charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Allen appeared emotionless and calm as three charges were read out by prosecutors, keeping his cuffed hands in his lap.

He spoke in a quiet tone when asked to state his full name in front of the court.

His next hearing will be on Thursday at 11am ET.
He has not yet entered a plea."

 

[Arkay]

Correspondents' dinner latest: Suspect charged with Trump's attempted assassination — ABC News

Cole Allen, 31, did not enter a plea.

apple.news

Charged with attempted assassination of the president.


ETA: sorry @Dotta, just saw yours above.

 

[Dotta]

"Cole Allen's
reported fiery social media posts."

https://twitter.com/x/status/2048787109436125294

 

[Sundog]

Correspondents' dinner latest: Suspect charged with Trump's attempted assassination — ABC News

Cole Allen, 31, did not enter a plea.

apple.news

Charged with attempted assassination of the president.

<SBM>

Glad to see the charge, so now when he is found guilty (which I don't doubt he will be) then he will spend the rest of his life in prison and the country will be safer because of it.

 

[Elley Mae]

Criminal complaint

https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/7470ba25-15c6-475b-8755-7ac7a562b45f.pdf

 

[PrairieWind]

Who would ever want to be President anymore?

 

[Gemmie]

Who would ever want to be President anymore?

A whole lot of people IMO. Including the guy currently in office.

 

[Yellowbelly]

Any evidence of a second shooter?

Not that we're aware of. Isn't it more likely that if the officer was hit by a bullet rather than being blasted with buckshot, that he was hit by a bullet fired by another LE officer? In the chaos, people get hit by crossfire.

 

[Vaderman]

What if a large bomb had been set off in the hotel? He could have smuggled a bomb into his hotel room as easily as he did firearms.

Along with the tragic loss of life in general can you imagine the confusion and chaos regarding the line of succession? Huge national security risk if much of the line of succession was assassinated.

Especially given the conflict in the Middle East and fears of "sleeper cells" in the U.S. This event was a little too ripe for chaos.

 

[ChairmanMeowMeow]

Does this country really need a White House Correspondents Dinner? Seems like a waste of money. Money that can be better used elsewhere.