Story perspectives

After Fatal Shooting, AG Pushes to Restart $400M Secure Ballroom

5/26/2026

Summary

Story summary

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche asked a federal court to lift the injunction and resume East Wing ballroom construction, citing the May 23 shooting that killed Nasire Best and wounded a civilian.
The $400 million ballroom features bomb shelters, a medical facility, missile-resistant columns and drone-proof glass, deemed vital for security.
Judge Richard Leon halted the project in April pending congressional approval, but an appellate panel permitted limited work through early June.

History

Historical Context

On April 19 1995 Timothy McVeigh detonated a truck bomb at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people and injuring over 600. The blast spurred Congress to pass the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (1996) and prompted a $600 million federal-building security overhaul, under Attorney General Janet Reno, including the 2003 replacement structure with blast-resistant design.

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Story summary

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche asked a federal court to lift the injunction and resume East Wing ballroom construction, citing the May 23 shooting that killed Nasire Best and wounded a civilian.
The $400 million ballroom features bomb shelters, a medical facility, missile-resistant columns and drone-proof glass, deemed vital for security.
Judge Richard Leon halted the project in April pending congressional approval, but an appellate panel permitted limited work through early June.

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