The Washington Hilton hotel has witnessed a dark chapter in US presidential history once again, with President Donald Trump being escorted out of the ballroom during a shooting incident.
Forty-five years after Ronald Reagan was shot at outside the same hotel, Trump was taken to a special presidential suite near the entrance, designed for quick access in emergencies.
The 1981 attack led to structural changes, including the addition of a secure garage to accommodate the presidential limousine, which connects to a dedicated elevator and staircase leading directly to the presidential suite.
On Saturday night, Trump was addressing journalists at the White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner when armed security rushed into the ballroom and shouted for people to get down.
Loud bangs rang out, cutting through the event, and agents swarmed around tables as plates crashed to the floor.
Security footage later posted by Trump showed a man sprinting through metal detectors and past law enforcement, prompting officers to turn toward him with raised guns.
The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was carrying a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.
The hotel had been shut to the public from 2 pm ahead of the 8 pm dinner, and around 2,300 guests in the ballroom were subject to multiple layers of checks.
