The shooting occurred at the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel, where President Donald Trump was present. Shots were heard at about 20:35 ET, according to research. Trump was evacuated by the Secret Service, and the suspect was tackled and arrested. Police said the suspect was not injured but was evaluated at a hospital as a precaution. The suspect is expected in court on Monday facing firearm and assault charges.
The suspect was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives, authorities said. A Secret Service agent was hit by a bullet but was wearing a vest and suffered minor injuries, according to Dagens Nyheter. The suspect himself was unharmed, though there is a minor discrepancy in reports: some sources say he was not injured, while others note he was evaluated at a hospital, which could be precautionary.
The suspect has no criminal past and is described by Trump as a 'loner' and 'nut job'.
Security lapses have come under scrutiny. According to police, the suspect was staying as a guest at the Hilton hotel where the dinner was held. Surveillance footage, cited by TV4 and a video posted by Trump, showed the suspect rushing through security without being stopped initially. Swedish journalist Ginna Lindberg told TV4 Nyheterna that there was no ID check at the dinner, only a metal detector and bag check, according to TV4 Nyheterna.
The suspect, named by US media as Cole Tomas Allen at about 22:50, citing multiple sources, has no criminal past and is described by Trump as a 'loner' and 'nut job', according to the president. Major media reports indicate he is a mechanical engineer and amateur video game developer from California. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Caltech and a master's in computer science from CSU Dominguez Hills. According to three major media sources, he worked as a tutor at C2 Education and was named teacher of the month in 2024.
The dinner will be rescheduled.
The suspect allegedly sent a manifesto to family members about 10 minutes before the attack, according to the NY Post, as cited by the Daily Mirror. The manifesto mocked security failures at the venue, according to the manifesto. The suspect wrote that he targeted administration officials, including possibly the president, according to the manifesto as reported by the Daily Mirror and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as cited by Dagens Nyheter and NRK Nyheter.
The suspect acted alone, according to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. US media named the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen at about 22:50, citing multiple sources. Live pictures showed a police search of a property in Torrance, California at about 23:10, according to research. Charges are pending, and the investigation continues.
The alleged gunman has been apprehended at 21:17.
Trump held a news conference from the White House alongside FBI chief Kash Patel and Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche at 22:30, according to research. At the press conference, Trump said, "The suspect has no criminal past and is described by Trump as a 'loner' and 'nut job'." He also stated, "The dinner will be rescheduled." Earlier, on social media, Trump wrote, "The alleged gunman has been apprehended at 21:17" and "I was leaving the Washington Hilton at the request of law enforcement at 21:36." At the press conference, Trump added, "The impression is that the suspect was a lone wolf."
Several questions remain unanswered. The exact motive of the suspect is unknown. How he managed to bypass security with multiple weapons is still under investigation. The specific charges he will face have not been announced. While authorities believe he acted alone, it is unclear if any other individuals were involved. The full content of the manifesto sent to family members has not been disclosed.
I was leaving the Washington Hilton at the request of law enforcement at 21:36.
The impression is that the suspect was a lone wolf.
It was incredibly unpleasant.