‘We saw Secret Service running with guns!’ Bev Turner gives her first-hand account of DC dinner shooting

Marcus Donaldson
Sun, 26 Apr 2026 10:23:36 +0000

Bev Turner has shared her first-hand account after an armed “would-be assassin” broke into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington DC.

The GB News host was attending the glitzy event, which hosted President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other top administration officials.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, a teacher from California, allegedly breached a security checkpoint before attempting to reach the ballroom where the President and other senior officials were gathered.

Armed officers moved quickly to subdue the suspect, wrestling him to the ground and placing him in handcuffs moments after he penetrated the security perimeter.

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Bev was attending the dinner alongside throngs of other top media representatives when the dramatic scenes unfolded.

“The first thing I knew of what was happening, or anybody knew in the bars on the lobby level, was that we saw about four Secret Service guys running through with guns running to the top of the escalators,” she recalled shorty after.

“At that point, the speculation was that perhaps there had been a bomb threat. Maybe somebody had threatened something.

“Then there was a period of waiting around.

“They locked the ballroom down. Those of us upstairs in the bar were trying to ascertain what had happened."

GB News' Chief US correspondent Ben Leo was also able to provide context of the incident.

He said: “Gunshots rang out from the lobby just yards from the main ballroom where the President was sitting. He was accompanied by his wife, Melania.

“Press secretary Caroline Leavitt was with them on the head table on the stage. She just went on maternity leave yesterday. She's expecting her second child next week.

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“Also in attendance were many, many members of President Trump's top team, the cabinet secretary of War Pete Hegseth, RFK Jr, the Vice President, JD Vance was on the stage as well. So many big names in the room."

Footage from the incident showed heavily armed Secret Service agents storming the stage and rushing Mr Trump and his top team away.

Other clips showed the dozens of guests taking cover under tables in the hotel banquet hall.

Among those was White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Stephen Miller, who could be seen with a Secret Service agent attempting to shield his pregnant wife.

The alleged attempted shooter is believed to have been staying at the hotel as a guest, and was seen in surveillance footage sprinting towards the ballroom doors after bypassing screening.

Police recovered a cache of weapons, including a shotgun, a handgun and several knives, according to the President.

Mr Trump later released an image showing the suspect lying shirtless and face down on the floor after being detained.

US Attorney for Washington DC Jeanine Pirro confirmed the suspect has been charged with two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence, as well as assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.