Former US President Barack Obama on Sunday condemned the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, stressing that violence has no place in a democratic society and praising the courage of security personnel.
In a post on X, Obama said, ‘‘Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it’s incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy.’‘ He further added, ‘‘It’s also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day. I’m grateful to them - and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay."
The incident occurred during the high-profile annual event attended by US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and several senior officials. Authorities confirmed that all key attendees were unharmed, though a Secret Service officer sustained injuries while responding to the situation.
Weijia Jiang, President of the White House Correspondents’ Association, described the episode as a ‘‘harrowing moment’‘ and praised the swift action by the United States Secret Service and law enforcement personnel. ‘‘Their actions protected thousands of guests,’‘ she said, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured officer.
According to US Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the suspect managed to fire ‘‘a couple shots’‘ before being quickly subdued. Speaking to CNN, Blanche said the individual ‘‘barely got past the perimeter’‘ and was immediately contained, crediting security agencies for an effective response.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was taken into custody after allegedly breaching a security checkpoint, prompting a swift evacuation of attendees and lockdown of the venue.
Meanwhile, President Trump also criticised NATO over what he described as a lack of support, stating that the United States has spent ‘‘trillions of dollars’‘ to protect Europe.
Source: ANI
--Agencies
