Story perspectives

Gunfire Halts White House Dinner, Trump Unharmed

4/26/2026

Summary

Story summary

Gunfire halted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, marking President Donald Trump’s first in-office appearance at the event.
Officers exchanged fire with 31-year-old shooter Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, subdued him at the Washington Hilton, and a shot Secret Service officer remained stable because of a bullet-proof vest.
Leaders from Italy, France, Canada, Mexico, Israel, Turkey, Argentina and other nations condemned the attack and expressed relief that the president and attendees were unharmed.

History

Historical Context

Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme's September 5 1975 attempt on President Gerald Ford led the Secret Service to keep a greater distance and Ford to wear a bullet-proof trench coat; later that month Sara Jane Moore tried again. The recent Hilton House Dinner shooting, where Cole Tomas Allen’s gunfire was stopped by a vest, echoes those reforms.

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Story summary

Gunfire halted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, marking President Donald Trump’s first in-office appearance at the event.
Officers exchanged fire with 31-year-old shooter Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, subdued him at the Washington Hilton, and a shot Secret Service officer remained stable because of a bullet-proof vest.
Leaders from Italy, France, Canada, Mexico, Israel, Turkey, Argentina and other nations condemned the attack and expressed relief that the president and attendees were unharmed.

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