The armed suspect arrested in connection with the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, TMZ has confirmed, as new details emerged on what exactly happened.
During a press conference late Saturday night, Jeff Carroll, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department interim chief, said the perpetrator was carrying a shotgun, handgun, and several knives when he tried to charge through a security checkpoint outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton Hotel. At the time, President Trump, his cabinet officials, and the media were all gathered inside the ballroom for the event.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday on “Meet the Press” that the suspect is beleived to have been targeting members of the Trump administration. The man allegedly squeezed off between 5 to 8 shots before he was apprehended.
President Trump confirmed one officer was shot at “very close” range but was saved by his bulletproof vest. Everyone else was safely evacuated.
Trump later posted a photo of what appeared to be the suspect lying handcuffed and face down on the ground, along with video of the incident.
Carroll said the suspect was not hit by gunfire but was taken to a hospital for evaluation. The interim chief also said the suspect appeared to be a lone wolf who was staying at the hotel as a guest, but it’s unclear when he checked in or what, if anything, was found inside his room.
According to Allen’s LinkedIn, he’s a game developer, engineer, scientist, and a teacher … and last year, he shared he had just finished a master’s program in computer science at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills — saying he graduated with a 3.9 GPA.
The FBI and local authorities were photographed late Saturday night at a Torrance residence, which was believed to belong to the suspect.
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for D.C. said the suspect is currently facing two charges: using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. He will appear in federal court Monday for his arraignment.