During the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton, a man named Cole Tomas Allen attempted to assassinate President Trump. Allen, 31, ran past security with a shotgun, firing it as he sprinted through the hotel. The bullet likely hit the cellphone in the pocket of an officer’s bulletproof vest. Allen was quickly subdued by law enforcement after tripping and falling. Inside the ballroom, President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and over 2,000 attendees were told to take cover, with Secret Service agents swiftly escorting the president and first lady to safety. Allen, who traveled from California with firearms and knives, was charged with attempting to assassinate the president and other related offenses. He had booked a hotel room and used an unguarded stairwell to get close to the event. Allen appeared in court but has not yet entered a plea.
QUESTION: How might increased security measures at public events impact the balance between safety and personal freedom?
Gunshot at dinner may have struck officer’s phone in pocket of bulletproof vest
