Story perspectives

Secret Service Officer Shot; Shooter Donated to Harris PAC

4/27/2026

Summary

Story summary

A Secret Service officer was shot at the Correspondents’ dinner in Washington, D.C., survived because his vest stopped the bullet; the shooter donated $25 to a Democratic PAC for Kamala Harris.
Police arrested 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, after he forced a checkpoint at Washington Hilton.
Protesters gathered in the rain outside the hotel, criticized security, and officials said plan worked; a Secret Service review was called for.

History

Historical Context

On March 30 1981, John Hinckley Jr. fired six .22-caliber rounds at President Ronald Reagan outside the Washington Hilton, wounding the president and three aides and prompting a Secret Service overhaul. Over four decades later, a gun fired by Cole Tomas Allen at the 2024 Correspondents’ Dinner again injured a Secret Service officer, reviving concerns about protecting political gatherings.

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Story summary

A Secret Service officer was shot at the Correspondents’ dinner in Washington, D.C., survived because his vest stopped the bullet; the shooter donated $25 to a Democratic PAC for Kamala Harris.
Police arrested 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, after he forced a checkpoint at Washington Hilton.
Protesters gathered in the rain outside the hotel, criticized security, and officials said plan worked; a Secret Service review was called for.

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