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The Deputy Director of the U.S. Secret Service, Matthew Quinn, issued an official statement this Sunday following the shooting that interrupted the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton in Washington D.C.
In his statement, Quinn described the attacker as a "coward" and highlighted the effectiveness of security protocols: "Tonight, a coward attempted to create a national tragedy. He underestimated the protective capabilities of the U.S. Secret Service and was stopped at the first contact. The strength of our layered security posture was evident, with many countermeasures still to come. I am grateful for the brave men and women of the Secret Service and our valuable partners in law enforcement."
The incident occurred around 8:36 p.m. on Saturday, when the suspect charged at a security checkpoint near the magnetometer area at the hotel entrance.
The attacker was identified as Cole Allen, a 31-year-old teacher residing in Torrance, California, who was carrying a shotgun, a pistol, and several knives at the time of the attack.
between five and eight shots were heard at the hotel entrance. CNN journalist Wolf Blitzer, an eyewitness, described the weapon used as "a very serious gun" fired from just a few meters away.
A Secret Service agent was injured by a close-range gunshot, although his bulletproof vest saved him from serious consequences; he was hospitalized and is expected to survive.
Allen was subdued and detained in the hotel lobby before he could access the main hall, where approximately 2,600 guests were present. There were no fatalities or injuries among the attendees.
The president Donald Trump, the First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and cabinet members like Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and Tulsi Gabbard were safely evacuated from the scene. Trump posted on Truth Social at 9:17 p.m.: "The shooter has been apprehended."
Later, Trump held a press conference at the White House alongside Vice President Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, where he praised the Secret Service and the FBI, and proposed rescheduling the dinner in 30 days.
The suspect was identified as Cole Allen, and the FBI raided his home in Torrance. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced imminent charges for shooting, illegal possession of firearms, and assault on an officer with a dangerous weapon.
The Cuban-American congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, an eyewitness to the incident, recounted taking refuge under a table after recognizing the gunfire from her experience as a war correspondent.
Quinn's statement is particularly significant given that he is the same official who publicly assumed institutional responsibility for the operational failures during the assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, when the shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks fired from a rooftop, injuring Trump in the ear and killing an aide.
This was also the first time that Trump attended the Correspondents' Dinner as president, breaking his pattern of boycott throughout his first term and in 2025, which turned the event into a high-security target and made Saturday's incident the first of its kind in the event's history.
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