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Washington, April 26 (IANS) Security arrangements at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner have come under intense scrutiny a day after a gunman breached outer defences and opened fire at one of Washington’s most high-profile events, raising questions over how the suspect accessed the venue with multiple weapons.

Former law enforcement officials and eyewitness accounts have pointed to potential gaps in the layered security system at the Washington Hilton, where President Donald Trump, senior administration officials and hundreds of journalists had gathered.

Former D.C. police detective Ted Williams told Fox News that the security appeared “somewhat lax to some degree, where you had these soft areas.” He questioned how the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, was able to bring weapons into the hotel.

“But when you have a guy that, like, Cole Allen here, actually living, actually having a room there… one of the first things that came to mind for me was how did he get these weapons in that hotel?” Williams said.

Authorities have said Allen was a registered guest at the hotel and had checked in before the event, suggesting he may have brought the weapons in ahead of time. He later rushed a Secret Service checkpoint armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives before opening fire.

Despite the breach, officials defended the overall response and insisted that the core security perimeter functioned as intended.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the suspect did not reach the ballroom where top officials were present and praised the rapid response. “The system worked. All of us were safe. President Trump was safe,” he said in interviews cited by The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Blanche emphasised that the concentration of security around the inner perimeter prevented a far more serious outcome. “The fact that the vice president and other leadership were there… is why we had such a robust security surrounding the place,” he said.

However, critics argued that vulnerabilities existed beyond the immediate security ring.

Reports from Fox News and NBC News indicated that while the ballroom area had tight controls, access to other parts of the hotel remained less restricted. The Washington Hilton typically remains open to regular guests during the annual dinner, creating a complex security environment.

Williams also highlighted crowd density as a concern. “There were too many people in that ballroom at any one given time,” he said, warning that the situation could have turned “very catastrophic” if the attacker had penetrated deeper into the venue.

Law enforcement officials said the suspect was stopped near the outer security perimeter and did not enter the main hall.

The Secret Service has launched a “comprehensive review” of the incident, with spokesman Anthony Guglielmi saying the measures in place were “critical in mitigating the threat and preventing significant harm,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, held annually, brings together journalists, policymakers and celebrities, making it a high-risk event requiring extensive coordination between federal and local agencies.

--IANS

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