A dramatic security incident unfolded at the Washington Hilton hotel on Saturday night during the White House Correspondents' Dinner, when an armed man stormed the lobby and opened fire. The suspect, identified by US media as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California, was promptly arrested by law enforcement.

President Donald Trump and senior White House officials were evacuated from the event as a precaution. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that charges would be filed shortly. It remains unclear whether the suspect specifically intended to target the president.

This incident adds to a troubling history of security breaches involving Trump. On July 14, 2024, Trump was wounded in a shooting at a campaign rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania. He was rushed offstage with blood on his ear. The gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service agents.

On September 15, 2024, another incident occurred at Trump's West Palm Springs golf course in Florida. A Secret Service agent spotted a gun barrel in bushes near the course. Officers fired at least four rounds. The suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, was later convicted of plotting to kill Trump and sentenced to life in prison.

In February 2025, New York Police Department officer Melvin Eng appeared at the Ryder Cup golf tournament in full tactical gear, pretending to be part of Trump's security detail. He was on sick leave and had no official assignment, leading to his suspension pending investigation.

Additionally, a man crashed his vehicle into the security perimeter of Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, carrying a gas can and shotgun. He was fatally shot by Secret Service agents. The attacker was identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin from North Carolina. Trump was in Washington at the time.

Source: www.aljazeera.com