The director of the Secret Service praised his staff’s response during the White House Correspondents Association dinner incident, saying they “performed admirably.”

“Tonight we saw exactly what our brave men and women do each and every day to protect our protectees,” Director Sean M. Curran said in a statement released by the service. “It’s not easy and I will tell you that they performed admirably. We got to see what they do.”

The suspect’s apprehension at a checkpoint “shows that our multi-layered protection works,” he said, adding, “And I’m grateful to our partners that help assist us with building these sites and protecting these sites.”

Deputy Director Matthew Quinn also released a statement, saying that “a coward attempted to create a national tragedy.”

“He underestimated the protective capabilites of the U.S. Secret Service, and was stopped at first contact,” Quinn added. “The strength of our layered security posture was evident, with a myriad of countermeasures still ahead. Grateful for the brave men and women of the Secret Service and our valued Law Enforecment partners.”