Donald Trump issued a brutal four-word takedown of the suspect who stormed the lobby outside the White House Correspondents' dinner, forcing the US President to evacuate. The incident occurred on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton hotel, where around 2,500 guests, including Trump, Melania Trump, and senior US politicians, were in attendance.
Suspect Identified and Arrested
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was named as the shooting suspect and was arrested at the scene. Shocking CCTV footage captured the suspect running past a security checkpoint outside the ballroom. One officer was shot at close range but survived due to his bulletproof vest, officials confirmed.
The suspect, from Torrance, California, was armed with multiple weapons, including a shotgun, handgun, and knives. Officials noted that he was not on law enforcement's radar and had no criminal record. According to his LinkedIn profile, Allen was a part-time teacher and video game developer, working for a test prep and tutoring company named C2 Education, which awarded him "teacher of the month" in December 2024.
Trump's Reaction
Around two hours after the incident, Trump held a press conference at the White House, where he slammed the suspect. The US President branded him a "lone wolf whack job" and added, "When you're impactful, they go after you. When you're not impactful, they leave you alone." Trump also described the suspect as "a sick person, very sick person" and emphasized that "we don't want things like this to happen."
This was the third time since 2024 that Trump faced a threat from an attacker in his immediate vicinity, including the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, that injured him and killed a local firefighter. Trump remarked, "Today we need levels of security that probably nobody has ever seen before," but added, "We're not going to let anybody take over our society."
Legal Proceedings
The US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, stated that the suspect is expected to appear in court on Monday and will be formally charged with several offences, including using a firearm during a crime of violence. The incident unfolded at around 8:35 pm local time, and Trump was evacuated by the Secret Service, remaining uninjured.
