The gunman who stormed the checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner clearly targeted President Donald Trump and administration officials, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on April 26.
The suspect was seen on security video carrying a shotgun, handgun and knife and appears to have passed a security guard at a checkpoint inside the Washington Hilton Hotel, according to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
Shots were fired and chaos erupted when the suspect was tackled upstairs in the hotel ballroom where the event was being held. A Secret Service agent wearing a bulletproof vest was shot and killed. He was hospitalized but was later reported to be in good condition. There were no other injuries.
Shortly after the dinner began, shots were heard, and President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other officials quickly evacuated to safety.
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The arrested suspect has not been formally identified by authorities, but a federal law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told USA TODAY that the suspect is Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation being conducted by the FBI, Secret Service and other agencies.
Timeline: History of filming
(All times are Eastern and approximate)
2pm: The hotel is closed to the public in preparation for the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
8pm: The event will begin. There are over 3,000 people in the ballroom.
8:16pm: President Trump and the first lady will enter the banquet hall and be seated with other officials.
8:36pm: An armed suspect charges a Secret Service checkpoint in the lobby outside a hotel ballroom. Closed-circuit television footage shows him running past a security guard with his weapon drawn. A bullet is fired. Secret Service agents tackle and arrest the suspect.
Mr. Trump, the first lady and other officials quickly move from the banquet hall to a safe location. Dinner guests crawl under the table.
Interim Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll later said the suspects were in possession of a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.
8:55pm: Hotel staff instruct people in the banquet hall to leave.
Just before 9 p.m., CBS News’ Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, addressed the rest of the crowd. “Our programs will be temporarily restarted.”
9:17pm: President Trump said on Truth Social: “The D.C. Secret Service and law enforcement did a great job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter was arrested and I said, ‘Let the show go on,’ but the law is completely in place. We will be guided by law enforcement, who will make a decision soon. Regardless of their decision, the night will be much different than planned. And, frankly, we will have to do it all over again.”
9:24pm: Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a post on X that the shooting occurred near the dinner party’s main magnetometer inspection area. Magnetometers are used as metal detectors.
9:36pm: “Law enforcement has been asked to leave the premises in accordance with protocol and will respond immediately. We will be holding a press conference within 30 minutes from the White House Press Briefing Room. The First Lady, Vice President and all members of the Cabinet are in good health. We will speak within 30 minutes. We have spoken with all event personnel and will reschedule within 30 minutes,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. day to day. ”
9:45pm: Trump leaves the hotel.
10pm: President Trump arrives at the White House.
10:29pm: President Trump posted CCTV footage and a photo of the suspect on the hotel floor on Truth Social.
10:30pm: Trump posted a second photo of the suspect sitting on the floor on Truth Social.
10:31pm: President Trump appeared in the White House briefing room to talk about the incident and said how shocking it was.
How will the shooting suspect be charged?
The suspect is scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court on April 27 on charges of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon and use of a firearm during assault, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia.
How did the suspect get into the hotel?
Carroll said investigators believe the suspect was a guest at the hotel. This allowed him to enter the hotel during dinner. It is not yet clear when the suspect checked in.
Upon entering the hotel, dinner guests had their tickets checked at multiple points to access the ballroom.
- Paper invitations were given to event staff.
- Guests walked through a magnetometer, a metal detection device operated by the Secret Service and Transportation Security Administration.
- Event staff inspected the bags brought by attendees.
Once Trump was seated at the head table, no other people were allowed in the area. Security video released by President Trump appears to show the suspect running past officers removing metal detectors.
According to U.S. News, the Secret Service created President Trump’s personal safety zone around the perimeter of the head table and the table itself. Armed Secret Service personnel were stationed nearby.
Contributions Rebecca Morin, Spencer Elliott, Michael Collins, Josh Meyer, Sarah D. Wyer, Nick Penzenstadler, Carissa Wadick, Bert Jansen, Zach Anderson, Francesca Chambers, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Maureen Grope, Aisha Bagchi, Ralphie Aversa, Sean J. Sullivan USA TODAY
SOURCE USA TODAY NETWORK REPORTS AND INVESTIGATIONS. Reuters
