Fabula
S2E1 · In the Shadow of Two Gunmen Part I

Gina Reveals Signal Man, Triggers Immediate Lockdown

Amid post-assassination chaos, sharp-eyed Secret Service agent Gina Toscano brushes past Sam and urgently briefs ID agent Tommy Cho on the coordinated attack: two shooters neutralized from the rooftop, but a signal man—a white male, 20-25, 5'10", baseball cap—escaped amid the crowd. Pressed for details, Gina's fragmented intel sparks Cho's decisive orders to seal the perimeter, shutter airports, and deploy Harbor Patrol and Coast Guard. This revelation exposes a sophisticated plot, pivoting the response from reactive triage to proactive manhunt, escalating national peril.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

Gina Toscano reports a coordinated attack with two shooters and a signal man, triggering a city-wide lockdown.

relief to urgency

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

11
C.J. Cregg
primary

shaken and worried

being treated by medics for a scalp laceration from a fall, insists she is fine, walks around police car, notices broken glass door, asks about the President's status

Goals in this moment
  • determine the President's status
Character traits
resilient strategic poised terse dutiful
Follow C.J. Cregg's journey

Intensely urgent, frayed by chaos but resolute

Dashes past Sam without pausing, swiftly identifies herself to Tommy Cho, delivers urgent intel on neutralized shooters and escaped signal man's description under sharp questioning, her focus piercing the pandemonium.

Goals in this moment
  • Relay critical threat intelligence immediately
  • Enable rapid capture of signal man
Active beliefs
  • Signal man coordinated the attack
  • Immediate lockdown prevents escape
Character traits
Decisive Observant Professional under pressure
Follow Gina Toscano's journey

Concerned and momentarily sidelined amid rising dread

Calls out to Gina as she sprints by in the chaos, attempting brief connection but brushed off, hovering protectively nearby amid sirens and shouts.

Goals in this moment
  • Check on Gina's status
  • Stay oriented in unfolding crisis
Active beliefs
  • Team members need mutual support
  • Gina's rush signals escalating threat
Character traits
Concerned Attentive Loyal
Follow Sam Seaborn's journey
Tommy Cho
primary

Decisively aggressive, channeling chaos into control

Confirms ID to Gina, rapidly interrogates for signal man details with escalating intensity, then barks authoritative orders to an agent for perimeter fix, airport shutdowns, and maritime deployments.

Goals in this moment
  • Extract precise suspect description
  • Initiate comprehensive containment manhunt
Active beliefs
  • Fragmented intel demands total lockdown
  • Maritime forces essential for full escape prevention
Character traits
Commanding Persistent Procedural
Follow Tommy Cho's journey

Focused readiness amid frenzy

Receives Tommy Cho's rapid-fire orders on perimeter, airports, Harbor Patrol, and Coast Guard, snaps immediate affirmative acknowledgment, propelling operational momentum.

Goals in this moment
  • Execute lockdown directives instantly
  • Coordinate multi-agency response
Active beliefs
  • Chain of command ensures success
  • Swift action contains the threat
Character traits
Obedient Efficient Responsive
Follow Unnamed Secret …'s journey

worried turning to horrified

looks around calling for Josh, asks Charlie if he has seen him, spots Josh behind ledge, runs to him, reacts in shock to his injury, shouts for doctor and help

Goals in this moment
  • locate Josh
Character traits
methodical sarcastic resolute irascible loyal
Follow Toby Ziegler's journey

calm

spotted by Toby, confirms he is okay, incorrectly informs Toby that Josh got in car with Leo

Goals in this moment
  • provide information to Toby
Character traits
playful dutiful composed empathetic
Follow Charlie Young's journey
Medic 4th
primary

attending to C.J. for thigh and head injuries, assessing her condition, advising her to lie down, refusing to comment on President

Goals in this moment
  • treat and stabilize C.J.
Follow Medic 4th's journey
Shanahan
primary

reported by Toby as the one who got in car with Leo (mentioned)

Character traits
dutiful protocol-bound crisis-responsive
Follow Shanahan's journey

reported by Sam as on the way back to the White House with President (mentioned)

Character traits
ambitious nervous independent beloved
Follow Eleanor Bartlet's journey

reported by Sam as on the way back to the White House (mentioned)

Character traits
protective resolute self-aware principled
Follow Josiah Bartlet's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Signal Man's Baseball Cap

Gina references the signal man's baseball cap as a key identifier during her briefing to Tommy Cho, noting it may have been knocked off in the crowd surge; this detail sharpens the suspect profile, fueling the manhunt's urgency and highlighting the plot's sophistication amid immediate chaos.

Before: Worn by unidentified white male signal man in …
After: Possibly dislodged and lost in the panicked swarm
Before: Worn by unidentified white male signal man in the crowd
After: Possibly dislodged and lost in the panicked swarm

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

2
Newseum Parking Area

Serves as the chaotic epicenter where Gina sprints to brief Tommy Cho amid swarming agents, police, and civilians; sirens wail, shouts pierce, enabling rapid intel exchange that pivots from triage to pursuit in the assassination's raw aftermath.

Atmosphere Pandemonium of sirens, shouts, and flashing lights throbbing with dread
Function Command post for immediate threat assessment and orders
Symbolism Microcosm of national vulnerability exposed
Access Swarmed by law enforcement, chaotic civilian presence
Wailing sirens everywhere Flashing police strobes Crowded with agents and ropeline people
Newseum Shooters' Window

Gina identifies 'that window' as the rooftop shooters' perch, neutralized by counter-snipers, anchoring her intel on the coordinated attack and underscoring the event's shift to hunting the ground accomplice.

Atmosphere Shadowed and lethal, now silenced but haunting
Function Referenced sniper vantage point confirming partial neutralization
Symbolism Elevated threat now neutralized, but peril persists below
Access Heavily secured by rooftop agents
High above parking lot Framed by shadows Site of recent counter-sniper action

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What this causes 6
Causal

"Gina's report of a coordinated attack ('two shooters + signal man') directly triggers Hoynes' demand to federalize the National Guard for the manhunt."

Leo Assumes Command in the Situation Room
S2E1 · In the Shadow of Two …
Causal

"Gina's report of a coordinated attack ('two shooters + signal man') directly triggers Hoynes' demand to federalize the National Guard for the manhunt."

Nancy McNally Ignites KH-10 Iraqi Threat Debate
S2E1 · In the Shadow of Two …
Causal

"Gina's report of a coordinated attack ('two shooters + signal man') directly triggers Hoynes' demand to federalize the National Guard for the manhunt."

Hoynes Asserts Authority with National Guard Ultimatum
S2E1 · In the Shadow of Two …
Causal

"Gina's report of a coordinated attack ('two shooters + signal man') directly triggers Hoynes' demand to federalize the National Guard for the manhunt."

DEFCON Standoff: Nancy's Iraqi Alert Clashes with Leo's Restraint
S2E1 · In the Shadow of Two …
Escalation medium

"Toby discovering Josh's injury escalates into the medical team's 12-hour surgery estimate, transforming a personal crisis into a prolonged emotional ordeal for the staff."

Doctor Warns of Josh's 12-14 Hour Surgery; Donna Shattered by Critical Wound News
S2E1 · In the Shadow of Two …
Escalation medium

"Toby discovering Josh's injury escalates into the medical team's 12-hour surgery estimate, transforming a personal crisis into a prolonged emotional ordeal for the staff."

Donna's Shattering Revelation: Josh's Critical Wounds
S2E1 · In the Shadow of Two …

Key Dialogue

"GINA: "Two shooters in that window, we got them both from the roof, but there was a signal.""
"CHO: "There was somebody on the ground?""
"GINA: "White male, 20, 25, maybe 5-10.""
"CHO: "Fix the perimeter, close the airports, shut them down, I want the Harbor Patrol and the Coast Guard.""