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John Hinckley Jr. called it “spooky” that an alleged assassination attempt against President Donald Trump occurred at the same Washington, D.C., hotel where he shot then-President Ronald Reagan decades earlier, according to a report.
The plot against Trump unfolded on Saturday night at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton.
Authorities said the 32-year-old suspect, Cole Allen, of Torrance, Calif., stormed the venue and opened fire before he was arrested. A Secret Service agent was shot and injured in the attack.
Trump, the first lady and Cabinet officials were ushered out of the hotel by Secret Service agents – while members of the press were seen ducking for cover.
COLE ALLEN CHARGED IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IN FIRST COURT APPEARANCE AFTER WHCA DINNER SHOOTING
President Ronald Reagan waves to onlookers moments before an assassination attempt by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981, outside the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. (The White House/Getty Images)
In an interview with TMZ, Hinckley Jr. called it “spooky” to learn that the shooting “took place at the same hotel as mine did.” He told the outlet that he found out about the attack when a newsflash popped up on his phone and he turned on the TV to follow coverage of it.
Members of law enforcement control shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (Alex Brandon / AP)
Hinckley said the security at the Washington Hilton is too “lax” and the hotel should not be hosting large-scale events.
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That is the same hotel where he shot Reagan and three other victims in 1981.
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John Hinckley Jr. mugshot taken on March 30, 1981. (Bureau of Prisons/Getty Images)
Hinckley had an obsession with actress Jodie Foster and wrote her a letter telling her he wanted to shoot Reagan.
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The assassination attempt failed — and Hinckley was arrested, tried and found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982. The court ordered him to live at a psychiatric hospital up until his release in 2022.
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President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2026, following the cancellation of the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner due to a shooting. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Digital reached out to the Washington Hilton.
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