A UK cabinet minister confirmed that security arrangements for King Charles's upcoming state visit to the US are under review following the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday night. Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, said the US and UK were 'working closely to ensure that security arrangements are put appropriately in place' for the visit. Jones told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that discussions on the king's security during his visit to the US would take place on Sunday. 'As you would imagine, the government and the palace take the security of his majesty very seriously, and there were already extensive discussions taking place, which will continue over the coming days,' Jones said. Asked if that meant there would be any escalation on what had already been planned, he said: 'There'll be appropriate security in place in relation to the risk.'
The shooting occurred at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner was being held. According to multiple reports, guests hid under tables when gunshots were heard as President Donald Trump and other members of his administration were evacuated by the Secret Service. The suspect, identified by multiple sources as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, was said to have been carrying a shotgun and handgun. Interim police chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives, and was a guest at the hotel. One officer was shot but protected by his bulletproof vest and taken to hospital. The suspect was not struck by gunfire and was taken to hospital for evaluation, according to Carroll. He was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon and taken into police custody. The suspect faces preliminary charges of using a firearm and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, with more charges expected, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and acting attorney general Todd Blanche. The suspect is believed to have been working alone and there is no further danger to the public, Carroll said. President Trump described the shooter as a 'lone wolf'. The suspect's motivation is unknown at this time, Carroll said. The suspect will be arraigned on Monday in federal district court, according to Pirro.
working closely to ensure that security arrangements are put appropriately in place
In the immediate aftermath, Vice President JD Vance was removed from the room first during the evacuation, according to multiple reports. Trump briefly stumbled on his way offstage before being assisted by his security detail. The president was held in the secure presidential suite at the hotel before being returned to the White House on Secret Service advice. The White House Correspondents' Dinner has been postponed and will be rescheduled within 30 days, according to multiple reports. One network notified invited guests to still come to its underground party in Dupont Circle. President Trump said being president is 'a dangerous profession' and attempted violence is 'part of the job'. Buckingham Palace said on Sunday that Charles was being 'kept fully informed of developments' and was 'greatly relieved to hear that the president, first lady and all guests have been unharmed'.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are due to arrive in the US on Monday for a state visit, according to multiple reports. The king is due to visit Virginia, New York and Washington DC during a four-day trip beginning on Monday to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence, according to multiple reports. He will meet the US president privately and will take part in a state banquet held for him and Queen Camilla. Charles will also take part in a 9/11 wreath-laying ceremony with the mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, in memory of the 67 British people killed in the 2001 attack, which took at least 2,606 lives. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of the royal visit, but no official changes have been announced. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams and social media users have expressed concern. However, the visit is scheduled to proceed as planned starting Monday, according to multiple reports. There is a discrepancy in reports about the duration of the visit: some sources say it is a four-day trip, while others say it is a three-day state visit.
As you would imagine, the government and the palace take the security of his majesty very seriously, and there were already extensive discussions taking place, which will continue over the coming days.
The shooting comes at a time of strained UK-US relations, according to multiple reports. Tensions have arisen after tense conversations between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the Iran war. The president appeared to mock the prime minister in the style of a skit from the British version of Saturday Night Live, which he shared on social media. The king, too, has been criticised for ignoring calls to meet with Jeffrey Epstein's victims, after the royal family became embroiled in the scandal when Charles's brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of leaking sensitive documents to the convicted child sex offender when he worked as a trade envoy. A royal commentator said Saturday night's White House shooting has cast a shadow over King Charles and Queen Camilla's United States visit.
There'll be appropriate security in place in relation to the risk.
kept fully informed of developments
greatly relieved to hear that the president, first lady and all guests have been unharmed