Story perspectives

Trump Praises Secret Service, Reschedules Dinner After Washington Hilton Shooting

4/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump praised the Secret Service for stopping the gunman at the Washington Hilton.
The shooter was 31-year-old Cole Allen, a Torrance, California teacher who entered with a shotgun, handgun and knives.
One Secret Service agent was shot in his vest and released from the hospital.
Trump announced the White House Correspondents’ Dinner will be rescheduled in 30 days and said incident will not affect his Iran war approach.

History

Historical Context

The 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan at the Washington Hilton—where John Hinckley Jr. fired six shots, wounding Reagan, press secretary James Brady and officer Thomas Delahanty—exposed gaps in Secret Service layers despite the hotel’s post-JFK “President’s Walk.” Decades later, in March 2024, agents again intervened at the same venue, stopping teacher Cole Allen and sustaining one wound, underscoring ongoing domestic-threat challenges.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump praised the Secret Service for stopping the gunman at the Washington Hilton.
The shooter was 31-year-old Cole Allen, a Torrance, California teacher who entered with a shotgun, handgun and knives.
One Secret Service agent was shot in his vest and released from the hospital.
Trump announced the White House Correspondents’ Dinner will be rescheduled in 30 days and said incident will not affect his Iran war approach.

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