A shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25 has sent shockwaves through both the political and financial worlds. Reports indicate that a gunman, later identified as Cole Tomas Allen from California, fired multiple shots near the venue at the Washington Hilton. The U.S. Secret Service swiftly evacuated President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and all cabinet members to a secure location. The suspect was apprehended alive by law enforcement, contrary to early reports of his death, and was found armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and several knives. All attendees are reported to be unharmed.
In a statement, President Trump confirmed his safety and that of his family and cabinet, promising to reschedule the dinner within 30 days. Changpeng Zhao, former CEO of Binance, expressed relief on X (formerly Twitter), calling the incident 'sickening' in light of the assassination attempt during the 2024 election campaign.
On the financial front, Bitcoin (BTC) reacted swiftly to the news. After falling to $77,200 following Trump's announcement of failed peace talks, BTC surged by approximately $1,000 to reach $78,200 on reports of the evacuation. At the time of writing, BTC is trading around $78,000, with a market capitalization exceeding $1.560 trillion and a market dominance of over 58% on CoinGecko. Analysts warn of increased volatility as legacy spot and futures markets open later today.
