The gunman who attempted to storm a black-tie gala attended by U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Saturday had planned to target top government officials, the acting U.S. Attorney General has said, as scrutiny over the event’s security arrangements intensified.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday that investigators believe, based on preliminary findings, that the suspect was specifically targeting members of the administration.
“We do believe, based upon just a very preliminary start to understanding what happened, that he was targeting members of the administration,” Blanche said, adding that no further motive had been established.
Blanche confirmed the suspect — identified by multiple U.S. news outlets as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California — was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and knives, and had been staying at the Washington Hilton, the venue for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
He said investigators believe Allen travelled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then on to Washington, and that the firearms appear to have been purchased over the past couple of years. Blanche added that the suspect was not actively cooperating with investigators and was expected to be formally charged in federal court in Washington on Monday.
Trump, who was swiftly evacuated from the ballroom by Secret Service agents, later posted surveillance footage showing the gunman attempting to sprint past a security checkpoint as guards drew their weapons.
After an exchange of gunfire, the suspect was detained at the scene. One officer was shot at close range but was not seriously harmed after the bullet struck his safety vest.
Speaking at a hastily arranged late-night press conference at the White House, Trump said he initially mistook the sound of gunfire for a dropped tray.
He described the suspect as appearing to be a “lone wolf” and said he hoped the media gala would be rescheduled within a month. He also raised concerns about the venue, saying the Washington Hilton was “not a particularly secure” facility.
Packed into the ballroom at the time of the incident were Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, several cabinet members, top lawmakers, and hundreds of guests. Attendees dove under tables in chaotic scenes as Secret Service agents swarmed the venue.
On Sunday evening, FBI tactical agents were seen entering a two-storey house in Torrance, California, associated with the suspect, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.
Saturday’s incident marked the third security scare involving Trump since 2024. A gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in 2024, killing one audience member and wounding the president in the ear.
Months later, another man was arrested after a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel protruding from bushes on the perimeter of a golf course in West Palm Beach where Trump was playing.
The Washington Hilton itself carries grim historical significance — it was the site where President Ronald Reagan was shot by a would-be assassin in 1981.
This year’s dinner was notable for Trump’s attendance, as he had never attended the event during his first term in office, unlike all other presidents over the past century. The incident occurred less than 48 hours before King Charles III and Queen Camilla were due to begin a four-day state visit to the United States.
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