An employee of the Washington Hilton revealed on Sunday how the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooter was able to "surprise" President Donald Trump's security.
The employee, who spoke to The Mirror US anonymously, contended that the shooter, Cole Allen, slipped past security at a "cordoned-off" VIP area to evade metal detectors. Allen fired between five and eight rounds during the event, according to reports, before he was apprehended by Secret Service agents. One Secret Service agent was shot in their bulletproof vest and survived, according to reports.
"It caught everybody by surprise," the worker told the outlet. "It caught them by surprise. Especially because a lot of the Secret Service people we've known forever and they're spot on, they're very detailed."
"I don't think they factored this option because he was staying here at the hotel," they added.
"He must have come through the end closest on this," the worker continued. "But when he passed through their area, he started open firing."
Shortly before the shooting, reports indicate that Allen sent a manifesto to his relatives. The document said he was targeting Trump and several of his top officials, excluding FBI Director Kash Patel.
Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and several of the president's cabinet members were swiftly evacuated from the scene, according to reports.