The Washington Hilton said it was operating under "stringent" U.S. Secret Service protocols when a man identified as Cole Allen breached a checkpoint and fired shotgun rounds inside the hotel during a dinner attended by President Trump. The shots were fired on a floor above the ballroom hosting the 2026 White House Correspondents' Association dinner; a Secret Service agent was wounded. The Secret Service coordinated the security response with local D.C. police and hotel security, and Allen is expected in court to face charges.
Washington Hilton Says It Followed Secret Service Protocols After Shotgun Attack Near WHCA Dinner
Media broadcasting equipment is placed on a sidewalk near the Washington Hilton hotel, where a shooting incident occurred yesterday night at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 26, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
NEW YORK, April 27 (Reuters) - The Washington Hilton said on Monday it had been operating under “stringent” U.S. Secret Service protocols when a man breached a checkpoint and fired shotgun rounds inside the hotel where President Donald Trump was attending the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner on Saturday.
What Happened
Law enforcement identified the suspect as Cole Allen. Authorities say Allen forced his way through a checkpoint and carried weapons on a floor above the ballroom where the 2026 WHCA dinner was taking place. Shots were fired, and a Secret Service agent was wounded.
Security Response
“The hotel was operating under stringent security protocols for the property as directed by the U.S. Secret Service, which led security,”a Washington Hilton spokesperson said in a statement. The spokesperson added that the Secret Service, charged with protecting the president, coordinated the response with local Washington, D.C., police and the hotel’s security staff.
Allen is accused of shooting and wounding a Secret Service agent and is expected to appear in court on Monday to face criminal charges. Investigations into the incident and the security breach were ongoing.
(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Kevin Liffey)
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