The gunman accused of trying to break into the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, a teacher from Torrance, California, was seen attempting to bolt past a security checkpoint while armed with a shotgun, a handgun and several knives on Saturday night.
He exchanged fire with Secret Service agents before they tackled him to the ground and arrested him. One agent was struck in his bulletproof vest and is expected to recover. No one else was harmed.
Blanche said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington.
Evidence found on Allen’s electronic devices point towards the theory he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner.
‘It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,’ Blanche told NBC’s Meet the Press.
The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.
‘He failed,’ Blanche said. ‘Law enforcement did their jobs.’
Allen, a teacher from Torrance, California, did not say if he was targeting the president or anyone in particular, according to anonymous sources
Several Secret Service agents were seen with their guns drawn as they gave people orders
Top cabinet officials were seen getting rushed to safety by Secret Service agents. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr and his wife Cheryl Hines are pictured getting taken to safety
Allen had told law enforcement that he wanted to shoot administration officials but did not say whether he was targeting President Donald Trump or anyone particular in the administration, CBS News previously reported, citing anonymous sources.
The White House Correspondents Dinner, an annual black-tie gala that brings politicians and journalists together, was barely underway when the Secret Service was forced to leap into action after a series of shots rang out.
Trump released surveillance footage of Allen, dressed in all black, sprinting inside the Washington Hilton hotel with a gun in hand before he was rushed by armed guards.
Journalists in the room captured images of top administration officials getting rushed to safety by Secret Service agents.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, is thought to have been targeting members of the Trump administration when he charged into the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night. He is pictured after he was tackled to the ground and arrested
Video footage showed Vice President JD Vance being frantically helped off stage by Secret Service agents as Trump and Melania ducked for cover.
Clips then showed several agents reach for the President and quickly pull him to safety.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
