The sound of gunfire at the Washington Hilton Hotel on Saturday night has brought back memories of the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan at the same venue. The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was evacuated after a suspect fired at least one shot while attempting to storm the ballroom, where President Donald Trump was present. The suspect was subdued before entering the ballroom, and an officer was hit in a bullet-resistant vest but not seriously injured.
The Washington Hilton Hotel, which opened in the 1960s, has hosted hundreds of large events with presidents and dignitaries. The 1981 shooting occurred when John Hinckley Jr. fired six shots at Reagan as he left the hotel, wounding him and three others. Reagan survived after a bullet lodged an inch from his heart. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Security has changed significantly since 1981. The Secret Service now deploys checkpoints and metal detectors at public events, and the hotel has a bomb-proof garage for presidential vehicles. Former agents note that securing the Hilton remains challenging due to the balance between protection and public access. The main security checkpoint is near the ballroom, not the lobby, to minimise disruption.
On Saturday, the suspect ran through the checkpoint before being overpowered. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between security and accessibility, as described by former Secret Service assistant director Stephen T. Colo. "Security is a lot more robust today than it was then, but you still deal with the same tension involving politicians and the public’s access to them," he said.
