How the shooter managed to get so close to Trump and other questions about the attack in Washington

Sniper tries to invade gala dinner to assassinate Donald Trump and members of the US government “I can’t imagine myself in a more dangerous profession”, declared the President of the United States, Donald Trump, just hours after being involved in another serious security incident. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp Even with a small army of American Secret Service agents who, possibly, make the president the most protected person in the world, keeping him safe is proving to be an arduous task. First, in 2024, Trump suffered an assassination attempt in Butler, in the US state of Pennsylvania, when a bullet grazed his ear. Just 64 days later, he was once again the target of an attacker while playing at his golf course in Florida. Now, after new gunfire interrupted the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Hilton hotel in Washington DC, Trump’s safety is once again under question. The motive and exact target of the alleged shooter — 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen — have not yet been clarified. But questions are growing about how an armed man managed to get so close to the American president. Allen was formally accused of three crimes: Attempted to assassinate the President of the United States and if convicted, the defendant could face a sentence of up to life in prison in a federal penitentiary; Interstate transportation of a firearm with the intent to commit a crime. If convicted, the expected penalty is up to 10 years in federal prison; Discharging a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. If found guilty, the defendant could be sentenced to up to 10 years in federal prison. Police reported that security agents and the suspect exchanged fire on a floor of the hotel, directly above where Trump was meeting with other guests. One of the unknowns is whether sufficient security measures were implemented at the hotel that housed some of Washington’s most influential politicians, diplomats and journalists. The BBC’s chief North American correspondent, Gary O’Donoghue, was present at the dinner. He stated that the streets around the Washington Hilton Hotel were closed for hours, but security at the site itself was “not particularly great.” “The man at the outside door only took a quick look at my ticket, from what must have been a distance of about two metres,” he wrote. Donald Trump, minutes before the shooting at the press dinner Nathan Howard/Getty Images via BBC The dinner tickets had only the table numbers printed on them, not the names of the guests. At no point was identification asked to enter the hotel. Guests heading to dinner descended via escalators in the main lobbies, before passing through security at an area located one floor above the ballroom entrances. And, at the beginning of dinner, they would go down a flight of stairs to enter. Security camera footage posted by Trump on social media shows the suspect crossing one of the checkpoints, before Secret Service agents opened fire. Authorities said he was carrying a shotgun, a pistol and several knives. The suspect exchanged fire with officers before being detained. Journalist Wolf Blitzer, from the American network CNN, stated that he saw the suspect shoot several times with a “very dangerous” weapon. The president later published a photo of a shirtless man on the ground, with his hands handcuffed behind his back and surrounded by Secret Service agents. The acting attorney general of the United States, Todd Blanche, told the American network NBC News that, apparently, the objective was to target members of the government, “probably including the president.” Police indicated that Cole Tomas Allen was a guest at the Washington Hilton, which continued to operate as a hotel, even though it housed some of the most powerful people in the world. The hotel closed its doors to the public hours before Saturday’s event began. Access was restricted to guests and people who had tickets for dinner or receptions held on site. When Trump took his seat in the ballroom, an extensive security apparatus, including heavily armed counterattack teams, took charge of protecting the room, moments after shots were fired outside. Former British ambassador to Washington, Kim Darroch, has previously attended correspondents’ dinners and criticized the security apparatus. “If you were there [como hóspede do hotel] and wanted to break into the dinner with bad intentions, he would just need to avoid a security check… and he would come out in the ballroom”, he declared on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg TV program. READ ALSO Shooter who opened fire at dinner is accused of trying to kill Trump and could face life in prison ‘Designated survivor’: White House says it talked about Trump’s line of succession before dinner with gunshots Ronald Reagan was attacked in the same hotel where shots were fired at dinner with Trump ‘Building not particularly safe’ Many questions arose about security surrounding President Trump after what happened on Saturday Andrew Harnik/Getty Images via BBC Trump himself later stated that the Hilton “is not a particularly safe building.” He highlighted that the incident demonstrated the importance of the new White House ballroom, currently under construction, the work of which is the subject of litigation. It has bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom.” The president also praised the “courage” of the Secret Service, which escorted him and Vice President JD Vance from the scene, saying they did “a great job.” Presidential and law enforcement security experts highlighted that the fact that the attacker never reached the ballroom indicates that the security measures worked. Former Secret Service agent Jeffrey James, who worked to protect Trump during his first term, highlighted that the attacker was detained at a “checkpoint outside perimeter” and never reached the floor where the president was. He also praised the communication between the agents. Asked by BBC Radio 4’s Today program whether the images showed any delay in removing Trump from the scene, James said that the agents used a “tactical pause” of several seconds, to ensure they did not fall into an ambush. Former FBI special agent Jeff Kroeger had previously told the BBC that “this is exactly what the Secret Service is trained to do.” When they heard When the shots were fired, they “converged around the president,” creating a “body barrier,” he explained. Another former Secret Service agent, Barry Donadio, told the BBC that there was apparently “no shortage of agents, officers and police officers” at the event. Commenting on how security could change, experts indicated they expected tighter measures for Trump events from now on, as Secret Service agents secured the site Getty Images via BBC Saturday’s shooting is the most extensive. recent episode of political violence in the United States. And data indicates that it has been increasing. In 2023, the US Capitol Police investigated more than 8 thousand threats, which represents a 50% increase compared to 2018. The murder of Charlie Kirk (1993-2025), which occurred in the State of Utah, further exposed the deep political divisions in the United States. an act of violence filmed and distributed via the internet. Months earlier, former Democratic state representative of Minnesota Melissa Hortman (1970-2025) and her husband Mark were shot to death. Among other presidents who were targets of assassination attempts was former Republican president Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), who was shot by John Hinckley Jr. in 1981. Reagan suffered a punctured lung, but survived. The attack took place in front of the Washington Hilton, the same hotel that hosted last Saturday’s dinner (4/25). but I did a lot [pelos Estados Unidos]”, concluded the president. VIDEOS: most watched on g1

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