A journalist has raised concerns over 'staggering' security failures at the White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD) held at the Washington Hilton. Hugh Dougherty of The Daily Beast reported that he unknowingly spent the night in a hotel room next to the alleged shooter, Cole Tomas Allen.
Dougherty claimed that neither he nor his colleagues had their luggage inspected upon arrival, despite the presence of high-profile attendees, including President Donald Trump and senior cabinet officials. Guests were able to move between floors and access key areas simply by showing event tickets.
He described the movement within the hotel as largely unrestricted, with guests able to access key areas without any checks or screening. Dougherty also highlighted concerns about the response timeline after the shooting, stating that it took hours for authorities to fully secure the suspect's hotel room and consider potential threats such as explosives.
The journalist expressed disbelief at the lack of security instinct regarding room 10235 and questioned how agents did not realize that the gunman had been a hotel guest, putting other people in danger.
