WASHINGTON, D.C. – The rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner will take place Friday. This do-over event comes after a shooting incident at the first dinner where officials said a man tried to assassinate the President.
Two months after a gunman opened fire as he rushed through a Secret Service screening checkpoint on the floor above where the annual WHCA dinner was being held, Secret Service said they are doing their due diligence to ensure the President’s safety as he’s expected to make a return to the WHCA dinner in Friday’s rescheduled event.
“We’re not looking at this as a redo of a dinner we’re looking at this as a presidential site with cabinet members and other protectees there just like every site we do everywhere we go,” said Matthew Quinn, deputy director of the US Secret Service.
At the annual WHCA dinner back in April, officials said 31 year-old California man Cole Tomas Allen, attempted to assassinate the President. Several shots were fired. An officer was hit and survived. Secret Service rushed the President to safety and guests in attendance dove under tables. Allen pleaded not guilty in May.
For Friday’s rescheduled dinner, the WHCA said there will be enhanced security measures. Guests will be required to show proof of ID and a unique QR code and go through additional security screenings.
“We are in a heightened level of a threat environment right now,” said Sean Curran, director of the US Secret Service. “It’s no secret there are things happening around the globe that are always going to impact how we move, and that’s how we evaluate what our security plan is going to be.”
The WHCA said they will also recognize the officer who was shot and the Hilton staff for their service during that April dinner.
