On Saturday, April 25, shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a black-tie event in D.C. that features notable figures, resulted in the immediate evacuation of those attending. Among those evacuated in the crowd were President Trump and the First Lady, along with other top government officials, media personalities, and journalists. Nobody was injured in the shooting; however, one Secret Service Agent was shot but protected by a bulletproof vest.
Two hours into the event, the suspect, 31-year-old Cole Allen, was arrested and is set to be charged with “assault of a federal officer and using a firearm during a violent crime,” as stated by the BBC. Allen, originally from Torrance, California, made the cross-country trip, armed with numerous weapons, including a handgun and knives, to fulfill what authorities denote as his “manifesto”. Allen wrote that he planned to target officials from “highest-ranking to lowest” after storming past the security checkpoint and firing three rounds. However, the Secret Service quickly apprehended him before any harm could reach the attendants inside. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that “It is clear, based upon what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could, and thankfully… that checkpoint worked.”
Inside the ballroom, guests quickly sought cover under tables, and many describe the moment to have been riddled with fear. Erika Kirk, wife of late Charlie Kirk who died as a result of gun violence, was seen crying and repeatedly exclaiming, “I just want to go home” while being escorted out of the dinner event. This response has earned her much backlash on social media, with many people citing that her sentiments were fabricated and a performance for cameras.
Some individuals, however, were more placid in response to the chaos of the night. A few guests continued to enjoy their dinner and refused to take cover while Secret Service worked to clear the scene. One guest Michael Glantz, a senior talent agent with the Creative Artists Agency, has gained much attention after he was seen calmly eating his food because he “wanted to watch” as Secret Service hurtled themselves over tables.
President Trump as well recalled his emotions of the night and expressed that he “wasn’t worried”. He added, “I understand life. We live in a crazy world.” This incident marks one of six major assassination attempts and scares that the President has faced since 2016, when he began campaigning for his first term as President. He also confirmed that, despite the shooting, the dinner will be rescheduled to take place within the next 30 days.
