2026 WHCA Dinner shooting
Political violence, shootingPolitical violence, shootingWashington Hilton, Washington, D.C., US
| Date | 25 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Location | Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C., US |
| Type | Political violence, shooting |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured (non-fatal) | 1 |
| Description | Gunshots fired main security screening area for the annual White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) Dinner |
On the evening of 25 April 2026, gunshots were fired near the main security screening area for the annual White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington DC.
President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and members of the Cabinet were evacuated by the Secret Service. It was the first WHCA Dinner that Trump had attended as a sitting president.
Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, who was arrested near the screening area on the floor above the banqueting hall. One officer was struck in a bullet-resistant vest and is expected to recover; no other injuries were reported.[1]
"Very unexpected"
It was 10:31 p.m. on Saturday when President Trump walked into the White House briefing room, still dressed in his tuxedo and bow tie, to talk about what may have been yet another attempt on his life.
“Well, thank you very much,” he said. “That was very unexpected.”[2]
"Patsy"
Larry Johnson, former CIA and founder of BERG Associates, called Cole Allen a "patsy".[3]
"Staged high school play"
Retired US Army Lieutenant-Colonel Tony Aguilar called the WHCA Dinner shooting "a staged high school play designed to distract the public from Trump's collapsing poll numbers and disastrous foreign policy failures."[4]
References
- ↑ "What to know about Cole Allen, alleged WH correspondents’ dinner shooter"
- ↑ "At the White House, Trump describes his mind-set after an evening of chaos"
- ↑ "'Whack job' shooting"
- ↑ "WHCA Dinner shooting 'a staged high school play designed to distract the public from Trump's collapsing poll numbers and disastrous foreign policy failures'"
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