Key Facts

• The hotel is nicknamed the "Hinckley Hilton" by Secret Service agents because John Hinckley Jr. tried to assassinate President Reagan near it in 1981.
• The hotel's large size and layout require detailed security planning, including secure ("clean") and unsecured ("dirty") areas.
• A hidden garage called "the bunker" was added after the 1981 assassination attempt to improve security.
• Timothy Reboulet, a former Secret Service agent, has helped plan security for the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the hotel under several presidents.
• On a recent event night, a suspect carrying a shotgun, handgun, and knives avoided the main screened areas by using internal stairwells.
• Secret Service officers tackled and arrested the suspect before he reached the ballroom where the dinner was held.
• The security system’s layered approach—outside, middle, and inner zones—worked as intended to protect the event.
• The Washington Hilton is considered one of the hardest places to protect a president, alongside venues like the Kennedy Center Honors.