Suspect ‘armed with guns and knives’ charged after shots fired at gala Trump dinner
Updated ,first published
Washington, DC: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the defendant, who tried to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with a gun and knives, had traveled around the country before the incident and was believed to be targeting members of the Trump administration.
Blanche also said authorities believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then to Washington, where he checked in as a guest at the hotel where one of Washington’s most glamorous events was recently held on Saturday night.
Investigators have not publicly released the suspect’s name, but two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter identified him. Associated Press Cole, 31, from Torrance, California, stars as Tomas Allen.
Law enforcement officers who examined the gunman’s electronic devices and writings initially believe he intended to target members of the administration who attended the dinner. He attempted to storm the Washington Hilton’s cavernous ballroom but was knocked to the ground in a chaotic scene; This caused shots to be fired, President Donald Trump to rush off the stage and guests to take shelter under their tables.
“In fact, it appears that he was attempting to target people who work in the administration, possibly including the president,” Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he was carrying within the last few years, Blanche said. He is uncooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.
The president was uninjured and was carried off the stage along with other dignitaries.
At a press conference at the White House two hours later, Trump, safe and still in his tuxedo, said he guessed he was the target, that he was “working on assassinations” and that they tend to go after people who make a difference.
“When you’re effective, they come after you. When you’re not impressive, they leave you alone,” Trump said. “I hate to say I’m honored, but I’ve done a lot.”
The alleged gunman faces two firearm-related charges, including assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon. More charges are expected to come.
The annual dinner for White House journalists was just getting started when armed security burst in. Attendees were eating spring pea and burrata salad and waiters were preparing to bring the next course when a security guard appeared on the ballroom floor and shouted at everyone to get down.
People were seen hiding behind chairs around 8:30 p.m. Washington D.C. time as Secret Service agents rushed to the stage to escort Trump and other dignitaries, including Vice President J.D. Vance and First Lady Melania Trump, from a long table at the front of the room.
Secret Service agents shouted “shots fired,” “stay down,” and “get out of the way, sir!” they shouted. While Trump and his cabinet members were quickly escorted out. No one was injured.
Journalists in robes and tuxedos hunkered down next to the tables as wine spattered on the white tablecloths and glasses clinked in their haste to find safety. Some in the crowd reported hearing what they believed to be five to eight shots being fired.
While Vance was removed from the room first, agents initially guarded Trump and the First Lady in place before removing them from the room. Trump briefly walked offstage before receiving assistance from his security team.
While Trump was held for a time in a secure presidential suite at the hotel, he and organizers initially tried to restart the event. Hotel staff refolded napkins and refilled water glasses, and aides set up the teleprompter for the president, but he was sent back to the White House on the advice of the Secret Service.
The banquet hall, where hundreds of prominent journalists, celebrities and national leaders were waiting for Trump to speak, was immediately evacuated. The National Guard took up positions in the building where people were allowed to leave but were not allowed to re-enter.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency examined a long gun and bullet casings found at the scene and also interviewed witnesses at the dinner. He asked anyone with information to come forward.
Interim police Chief Jeff Carroll said the alleged gunman was armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives as he attacked a security checkpoint outside the Hilton ballroom.
Police said the suspect was not shot during the shootings but was still taken to the hospital for evaluation.
A Secret Service agent put a bullet through his bulletproof vest but he was released from the hospital early Sunday, US time. Trump said he spoke to him at the press conference.
“He’s doing great. He’s doing great,” Trump said. “He was in very high spirits and we told him we loved him, we respected him and he was a very proud man.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was pleased to hear that the president, first lady and all dinner attendees were safe.
“We appreciate the work of the Secret Service and law enforcement for their swift action,” Albanese said.
Trump has been subjected to assassination attempts before, including at a Pennsylvania rally in 2024 where his ear was grazed by a bullet.
The president said he would not change the way he does his job despite another apparently politically motivated act of violence.
He was adamant that the dinner would be rescheduled and be “bigger and better.”
“We won’t let anyone take over our society. We won’t cancel anything,” Trump said. “I don’t like letting these sick people, these terrible thugs, change the fabric of our lives, change what we do.”
He also praised Melania Trump for her poise during a “traumatic time.”
Trump used press conference to defend new ballroom He said he was in the process of doing construction at the White House and believed the venue tonight was “not particularly safe.”
“We looked at them all [security] “I will say that this is not a particularly safe building because of the circumstances that occurred tonight,” Trump said.
“I didn’t want to say this, but that’s why we have to have all the bells and whistles of what we’re planning in the White House, we have to have a bigger room and it’s drone and bullet proof,” he said.
“We need the ballroom. That’s why the Secret Service and the military are requesting it.”
The Washington Hilton, where the dinner has been hosted for years, generally remains open to regular guests during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Security is generally focused on the hotel’s ballroom.
In recent years, this has led to disruptions in the lobby and other public spaces, including protests where security removed guests who held banners or demonstrated.
In 1981, then-president Ronald Reagan stood in front of the Hilton with John Hinckley Jr. in an event that led to a redesign of the property. He was shot by.
With AP and Bloomberg
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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
Jessica McSweeney is a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald covering state politics and city affairs.Connect via email.
Roy Ward is a sports writer, live blogger and breaking news journalist. He has been writing for The Age since 2010.Connect with: X or email.
