A man who allegedly opened fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner reportedly confessed to authorities that he intended to shoot officials from the Trump administration. The suspect, identified as Cole Thomas Allen, a teacher and video game developer, did not specifically mention targeting President Trump himself, but rather officials within the administration, according to law enforcement sources cited by CBS News. Reports indicate that between five to eight gunshots were discharged during the incident.
It is believed that Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, gained unauthorized entry to the event as a guest. Law enforcement officials revealed that the suspect was armed with various weapons, including a shotgun, handgun, and knives.
Authorities stated that Allen breached a security checkpoint at the hotel and fired at a Secret Service agent at close range, although the agent was protected by a bullet-proof vest.
The suspect had not previously been flagged by law enforcement and had no prior criminal record. Officials confirmed that the armed individual had been present as a guest at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the dinner was being held.
In response to the incident, interim Chief of Police Jeffrey Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department mentioned, “We believe he was a guest here at the hotel. We have secured a room here in the hotel, and again, we’ll go through the appropriate procedures to determine what was inside there.”
Former President Donald Trump shared an image of the detained suspect, describing him as a “lone wolf whack job” during a press conference following the disturbance.
