One hotel, two presidents, familiar: The Washington Hilton has an unknown past

Long before Trump’s hasty exit, the Washington Hilton was etched in presidential history. In 1981, then-President Ronald Reagan was shot outside the same hotel.

That attack resulted in changes to the structure and the addition of a special presidential suite near the entrance, designed for quick access in the event of an emergency. Trump was also taken there briefly on Saturday night after the shooting, according to the Associated Press.

According to FBI files, Hinckley fired six shots with a .22-caliber revolver. A bullet ricocheted off the limo and struck Reagan in the chest. The injury went unnoticed at first, until Reagan began coughing up blood.

The then-President spent 12 days in the hospital before returning to the White House. His press secretary James Brady, Special Agent Timothy McCarthy and Officer Thomas Delahanty were also injured.

Fast forward 45 years and the scene is the same again, but the night begins very differently.

On what was supposed to be a glitzy night, Trump addressed reporters at the White House Correspondents’ Association’s annual dinner, his first as president.

Then comes the chaos.

A huge explosion rang out, piercing the entire event, and the big band music stopped. For a few seconds, the room was silent. Agents gathered around the table as the plates crashed to the floor.

Cries of “Get down!” and “Get down!” echoed throughout the ballroom.

Trump, who was sitting on the stage, was quickly bundled out by security personnel.

Surveillance footage later released by Trump showed a man running through a metal detector and past law enforcement officers, prompting officers to turn on him with guns drawn and then chase him off the screen.

The Associated Press quoted two law enforcement officials as saying the suspect was identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California.