Federal prosecutors on Thursday released nearly six minutes of video showing when an armed man sprinted toward a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and allegedly tried to kill former President Donald Trump. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro posted the footage and said there was no evidence the shooting resulted from friendly fire.
Earlier, prosecutors had said a Secret Service agent was struck in his bullet-resistant vest but had not confirmed whether the bullet came from the suspect’s gun. Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the agent was shot at “point-blank range” as the suspect ran through the checkpoint and that the officer “heroically returned fire,” firing five times. Trump also denied the agent was hit by friendly fire. Reuters, citing a U.S. law enforcement official, reported an investigation concluded the agent was not hit by friendly fire.
The released footage shows about a dozen federal officers dismantling metal detectors and stationing themselves near a security checkpoint when the suspect appears and sprints through carrying a long gun. The gunman emerges from a doorway and runs toward agents; he appears to point the weapon at one agent while running, though the video does not clearly show whether he fired at that moment. Most officers did not notice him until he was nearly through the checkpoint; only one agent had his weapon drawn before the armed man passed. That agent appears to fire at least three times on the video, but authorities say the gunman was not struck during the attack.
The footage also includes a clip of the suspect walking a hallway at the Washington Hilton a day before the gala and briefly entering the hotel gym. DW correspondents reported hearing “six or seven very loud shots” in the corridor. Curran said the podium where Trump was seated was about 355 feet from the metal detectors.
The 31-year-old suspect was tackled and detained after a chaotic scuffle with security guards, a struggle not visible in the released video. He has been charged with attempted assassination of the president and faces life in prison if convicted. At a court hearing on Thursday, he agreed to remain in custody while the case proceeds; his attorney, Tezira Abe, said he would not immediately contest prosecutors’ arguments that he is a danger to the community.
Edited by: Zac Crellin