U.S. bishops said violence is never the answer after a shooter walked into a hotel hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25 and wounded a Secret Service agent.
Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement“We are grateful for the lives of the President, those protecting him, and all those present last night, who escaped serious harm. Let us all pray for our elected leaders and public officials to be blessed by God. Because human life is a precious gift, there is no place for violence of any kind in our society.”
Gunshots were heard by attendees of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel shortly after it began. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and several Cabinet members were evacuated by federal agents. Trump said at a press conference at the White House after the shooting that a lone suspect was taken into police custody and a federal agent wearing a bulletproof vest was hospitalized after being shot.
Bishop David Bonner of Youngstown, Ohio, said the issue of gun violence needs attention.
boner said in a statement“The United States of America is built on freedom and respect for all. There is no room for violence that endangers the life of any human being. Furthermore, the issue of gun violence must be addressed. Violence is never the answer. We must all look deep into the human heart to build each other up rather than tear each other down. We pray for peace in moments of disagreement and discord. As we celebrate our 250th birthday, we all that we may live as one nation under God with freedom and justice.”
Bonner also offered prayer for protection.
We must all look deep into the human heart to build each other up instead of tearing each other down.
Bishop David BonnerDiocese of Youngstown, Ohio
Since 2025, the United States has seen a significant increase in political violence, including assassination attempts and fatal attacks linked to ideological extremism, threats against elected officials, and armed incidents around political events.
High-profile political actor Charlie Kirk, a conservative commentator, was murdered in Utah in September 2025. In Minnesota, Representative Melissa Hortman, the top Democratic leader of the state House of Representatives, was assassinated in her home in June 2025, and her husband was also killed in the same attack. Hortman, who served as Minnesota House Speaker, was a Roman Catholic catechist.
Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, posted on X on April 26, “I am grateful that the President and his entourage are unharmed following this latest attack. May I speak out against the viciousness and tribalism that is so prevalent on the Internet and which contributes powerfully to the violence we see in our political culture. Can we please remember that it is possible to disagree with a politician’s views without demonizing and dehumanizing him? Jesus commands us to love our enemies, and that includes our ideological opponents.”
