North Carolina’s political leaders are calling for unity after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday.
The weekend’s gala in Washington turned into a scene of chaos when a California man, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, opened fire near a security checkpoint. While one Secret Service agent was injured, no dinner guests—including President Donald Trump—were harmed.
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis called the shooting a 'wake-up call' for the country, urging Americans to 'take a breath' and reset a political discourse he says is being dangerously amplified by social media. Governor Josh Stein echoed that sentiment, stating that political violence is 'absolutely unacceptable' and has no place in our democracy.
Other state leaders, including Senator Ted Budd and Representative Richard Hudson, praised the swift action of the Secret Service in preventing what could have been a national tragedy.
Investigators say the suspect was carrying multiple weapons and a manifesto targeting federal officials.
