White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting: Man hailed as hero for turning into a human shield for Trump

A man is being hailed as a hero for rushing to stand in front of President Donald Trump, like a human shield, after the alarm was sounded as shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Viral videos show the man, who is most likely a Secret Service agent, reacting with lightning speed and blocking Trump from danger without a second thought. Netizens are praising the man for his dedication and fearlessness. As soon as gunshots were fired in the lobby of the Washington Hilton, everyone ducked for safety. Several security men rush towards Trump, with one standing next to him at the back and one man standing right in front of him, blocking out Trump entirely. Soon after, Trump is escorted to safety. One Secret Service officer was shot in the incident, but was miraculously saved by his ballistic vest. Trump praised the officer in his address. "He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job. I just spoke to the officer, and he's doing great," the 79-year-old said.

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Gunshots at the White House Correspondents' Dinner

The suspect in the White House shooting has been identified as Cole Allen. The 31-year-old from Torrance, California, reportedly charged through a security checkpoint armed with a shotgun, a handgun and several knives. Gunfire was heard several times in the hotel lobby before he was tackled by agents. The night was meant to celebrate excellence in journalism as several names from the field, along with Hollywood celebrities and Cabinet members, sat in the ballroom. But the incident had to be cancelled after the scary encounter, and according to White House, it will be rescheduled in the next 30 days, and has promised it would be "bigger and better".

Cole is a teacher and wanted to "fix" the world. He wrote a manifesto before reaching the Washington Hilton Hotel, and sent some of the writing to his family. They told law enforcement officials that they were concerned about him and informed the New London Police Department in Connecticut minutes before the attack. The manifesto stated that he targeted Trump's officials, prioritising based on their rank. "Administration officials (not including [FBI Director Kash] Patel): they are targets, prioritised from highest-ranking to lowest," Allen wrote.