Recently a bone-chilling incident happened after a man fired a gunshot at an event at the Hilton Hotel, Washington, DC, where the US president was hosting an annual dinner for the White House correspondents.Â
United States President Donald Trump and first lady Melania ‌Trump were immediately rushed out and evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ dinner at the Washington, DC Hilton Hotel after shots were fired outside the event.
A US official reported that as per initial details, US President Donald Trump was likely the target of a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The US acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Sunday, the gunfire broke out outside the ballroom where the annual media gala was taking place and President Donald Trump and officials in his administration were the likely targets of a suspect who fired on a security agent guarding the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington.
“It does appear that he, he did, in fact, have set out to target folks that work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” adding that the suspect likely traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington.
The gunman opened fire at a Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint in the Washington Hilton hotel on Saturday before being tackled and arrested.
The suspect will be charged in federal court on Monday with assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm, and attempting to kill a federal officer, Blanche said, adding he did not know if there was an Iranian connection to the attack.
Trump’s stance on latest shooting:
Trump told reporters at a late-night White House briefing that he believed he was the target of the attack. He said the Secret Service officer was saved by his bulletproof vest and was in “good shape.”
U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi confirmed the officer had been released from a hospital.
ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl reported that Trump called him on Sunday morning and insisted that the White House Correspondent’s Association reschedule the dinner. “It has to happen,” Karl said Trump told him.
Around the world, leaders condemned the attack, and expressed relief that Trump and all present were safe, demonstrating solidarity with the United States. NATO leader Mark Rutte called it an attack “on our free and open societies” and leaders stressed violence had no place in a democracy.
The British embassy, which is preparing for King Charles’ visit to Washington starting on Monday, said in a statement that discussions were taking place on whether the incident may affect planning for the visit. A pre-visit brunch hosted by Britain’s ambassador to the U.S., Christian Turner, was scheduled to proceed on Sunday.
Suspect arrested:
A law enforcement official identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, a California resident about 31 years old. Little was immediately known about Allen’s background, but social media postings suggested he was a teacher in Torrance, near Los Angeles.
Washington Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. He was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated but it was too soon to say what his motivation was, Carroll said.
Bloomberg reported that Allen purchased a shotgun 8 months ago and a semi-automatic pistol 2 years earlier, citing a law enforcement intelligence profile.
Blanche said the suspect appeared to have checked into the Washington Hilton on Friday. Without naming the person, he said the suspect was not cooperating with investigators.
“There is something unique about the threats against President Trump and his cabinet that is disgusting and it shouldn’t be happening,” Blanche said on “ABC This Week.”
The chaotic events from around 8:35 p.m. raised fresh questions about ‌the security of top U.S. officials, many of whom were gathered in the hotel’s expansive ballroom.
A focus of the investigation is likely to be how the gunman was able to smuggle the weapons into a hotel hosting one of Washington’s biggest black-tie events. Guests entering the lower ballroom area are screened by security, but the lobby and room levels are not secured.
The dinner was attended by many members of Trump’s cabinet and other senior administration officials amid heavy security. It was the first time Trump attended the event as president, having boycotted it in previous years.
The site of the dinner was the scene of an attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan, who was shot and wounded by a would-be assassin outside the hotel in 1981.
Closed-circuit TV footage released by Trump on Truth Social showed the suspect running rapidly through a security checkpoint, momentarily catching security personnel off-guard before they drew their weapons.
No shots were fired at the gunman who got through two checkpoints before being brought down.
“You know, he charged from 50 yards away, so he was very far away from the room. He was moving. He was really moving,” Trump said after the gala dinner was canceled.
Officials believe he is a “lone wolf,” Trump said.
