White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller and his wife Katie Miller are taken out of the ballroom by security agents during a shooting incident at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton. Photo / Getty Images
White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller and his wife Katie Miller are taken out of the ballroom by security agents during a shooting incident at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton. Photo / Getty Images
It’s a miracle no one was killed on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, where more than 2000 journalists, government officials and high-profile guests had gathered for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. These kinds of incidents have become too common, and they often contrast the worst of Americawith the country’s best.
Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from California, stormed through a security checkpoint in the hotel and ran toward the ballroom as the dinner got underway, authorities say. He carried a shotgun, a handgun and knives and was quickly detained. Writings found in his DC hotel room and at his house outside Los Angeles indicate he was targeting Trump administration officials.
A Secret Service agent, wearing a bulletproof vest, was hit but will be okay. The ballroom in the moments after shots rang out was tense and, for many, terrifying. But federal law enforcement acted swiftly and professionally.
President Donald Trump, who has been repeatedly targeted by would-be assassins, appeared composed as his detail evacuated him. He was attending the dinner for the first time as President and planned to roast the press. Instead, in an impromptu news conference, the President was gracious and expressed a desire to reschedule the event soon.
“You’ve been very responsible in your coverage,” he told reporters, still wearing gowns and tuxedos in the White House press briefing room. “I will say I’ve been seeing what’s been out. You’ve been very responsible.”
Indeed, the biggest news story in the country was unfolding in a room full of accomplished journalists, and they got to work. Despite the chaos, reporters began gathering information and preparing articles to inform the world about what had just happened. Our newsroom colleagues, in particular, produced formidable coverage.
Many questions remain about what happened. Allen was a guest in the hotel, but why was someone able to get guns inside the same building as the President? Was he on law enforcement’s radar before the incident? What inspired him to carry out such a dangerous and destructive act?
Political violence is intolerable in every instance, and public service shouldn’t be as dangerous as it’s become.
It’s always tempting after scares like this to simply erect more barriers and create more distance between politicians and the people they represent. But accessibility is one of the secrets of America’s sauce, and it’s essential to strike the right balance. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin couldn’t contemplate attending a dinner with the independent journalists who aggressively cover them because no such press corps exist in China or Russia.
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