Shots fired at Trump dinner What is known about the shooter - video shows Trump's evacuation
A festive evening in Washington ends in a major security operation. US President Donald Trump has to be evacuated after an armed attack. The shooter is a teacher.
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- Shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington.
- The attacker was overpowered by security forces, President Trump and all members of the government were unharmed.
- The perpetrator opened fire outside the security gate with several weapons and was identified as a 31-year-old teacher and game developer.
This is what happened
Shots were fired at an evening event at the Washington Hilton Hotel in the US capital Washington during the traditional White House Correspondents' Dinner. Around 2,600 guests were in attendance, including US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and numerous cabinet members. Security forces responded immediately, brought the attendees to safety and overpowered the attacker.
In a video circulating on social media, Trump can be seen being shielded by security forces and led out of the room.
This is how the attack unfolded
Initially there was only talk of bangs, but later reports confirmed that several shots were fired. According to the Secret Service, the incident took place outside the security gate to the event, where the perpetrator opened fire with a shotgun and also shot at an agent, who was unharmed thanks to his protective clothing.
Video footage published by Trump on the Truth Social platform is said to show the man running past security guards before they intervened and overpowered him. Eyewitnesses reported several loud gunshots as heavily armed officers secured the area and eventually stopped the attacker.
The shooter
The alleged perpetrator has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California. According to public profiles, he worked as a part-time teacher for a tutoring company and also worked as a video game developer. Allen has a degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology and a master's degree in computer science and had published his own indie game, among other things.
This is how he was armed
Cole Tomas Allen is said to have been a guest at the Hilton Hotel where the dinner took place. According to the authorities, he was carrying several weapons, including a shotgun, a pistol and several knives. US President Trump described him as a suspected lone wolf, and investigators are also currently assuming that he was a so-called "lone wolf".
On Sunday night (local time), the FBI searched the suspect's home in Torrance, a suburb southwest of Los Angeles.
Unclear motive
The motive for the attack is still unclear, as is the question of whether the president himself was the target of the attack. The suspect is due to appear in federal court on Monday to face charges including assault on a federal officer and use of a firearm in a violent crime. Further charges could follow.
What Trump says
The President spoke shortly after the incident and praised the rapid response of the security forces. He confirmed that all high-ranking members of the government were unharmed and announced that he would make up for the canceled dinner at a later date. At the same time, he emphasized that the incident would not distract him from current political issues.
The event
The White House Correspondents' Dinner is a traditional event for journalists accredited in Washington and has been taking place for more than 100 years. The sitting president usually attends as the guest of honor, which in this case was a first for Trump. Following the incident, the event was first interrupted and then canceled completely.
