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 how his agency handled 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 system worked and that the agency has established a security plan for the evening. Advance teams have already visited the new location and set up checkpoints, including metal detectors.

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, a factor that also helps in securing the area.

Threats Against Protectees

The Secret Service officials were also clear that the threat from Iran still exists and that threats against protectees continue to grow. One official said that the level of threats is the highest that they’ve ever seen.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.