The suspect, who was carrying guns and knives, was subdued outside the correspondents’ dinner.
The suspect, who was carrying guns and knives, was subdued outside the correspondents’ dinner
The president said the suspect was carrying “several weapons”; he was apprehended by authorities and will appear in court on Monday. Photo: AP
Washington. — The suspect in a shooting that occurred during a high-profile dinner with correspondents attended by President Donald Trump and other senior U.S. officials was carrying firearms and knives, and is believed to have acted alone, authorities said.
“At this time, we have no reason to believe that anyone else was involved,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference. “For now, everything seems to indicate that he acted alone.” She added, “At this time, there does not appear to be any danger to the public.”
Federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro said the suspect has been charged with firearms-related offenses and assault. Authorities stated that the suspect will appear in court on Monday and that he was apparently a guest at the hotel.
The suspect in the shooting has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old resident of Torrance, California, according to several U.S. media outlets.
Trump stated that the suspect was carrying several weapons before being apprehended by the Secret Service. One agent was shot, but he was wearing a bulletproof vest. “He was shot at point-blank range with a very powerful weapon, and the bulletproof vest did its job,” Trump said.
President Donald Trump speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House following an unspecified threat during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington. Photo: Tom Brenner/AP
“We are examining all the ballistic evidence found at the scene, including the long gun and the shell casings. We are currently interviewing witnesses,” explained Kash Patel, director of the FBI, at a press conference held at the White House shortly after the incident occurred. Patel asked anyone with information about the incident to come forward to the authorities to give a statement and assured that an “in-depth investigation” into the suspect’s background has already begun; according to Trump, everything seems to indicate that he acted alone.
Trump shared images of the arrested man on his social media platform Truth Social, including a photo showing the man handcuffed on the hotel floor.
He also shared video footage from the venue’s security cameras. In the low-quality black-and-white footage, the man can be seen running at full speed, and several Secret Service agents can be seen drawing their weapons and firing. Trump and the other senior officials were evacuated from the ballroom where the dinner was being held after hearing three or four gunshots that rang out outside the room, according to an EFE reporter who was at the gala, which was presided over by a table on a stage where the president and first lady were seated. Following the evacuation, more Secret Service agents deployed in the ballroom carrying assault rifles and instructed all attendees to take cover. News agencies
