The Secret Service is preparing for a second White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which will be held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. on Friday. Director Sean Curran defended the agency’s handling of security at the first dinner, which was shut down after a gunman opened fire as he rushed through a Secret Service screening checkpoint.

Security Preparations

Curran noted that the gunman, who was staying as a guest at the hotel prior to the dinner, was stopped over 100 yards from the podium. He said that the success of the security plan was due to the checkpoints and special teams in place. Advance teams have already visited the new location and established a security plan for the evening.

One law enforcement official told CNN that the access points are more limited at the dinner’s new location, which will help focus security. The location is also in an area with a heavy police presence from both local and federal agencies, which will help secure the area.

Threats Against Protectees

Secret Service officials said that the threat from Iran, which has called for the death of the president, still exists and that threats against protectees continue to grow. One official said that the level of threats is the highest they have ever seen in their nearly 30 years with the agency.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.