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Who tried to shoot Trump? What is known about the White House shooting suspect
🇬🇹 Guatemala /Conflict & Security

Who tried to shoot Trump? What is known about the White House shooting suspect

From Prensa Libre · (9m ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A man armed with multiple weapons attempted to breach an event attended by President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
  • The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, evaded security, exchanged fire with agents, and was apprehended.
  • Authorities are investigating the incident, with initial indications suggesting the suspect acted alone.

In a shocking incident that disrupted the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, a man armed with multiple weapons attempted to infiltrate the event where President Donald Trump was present. The celebration of press freedom at the Hilton hotel in Washington D.C. on Saturday, April 25th, quickly turned into a scene of panic as the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California, evaded a security checkpoint and engaged in a shootout with law enforcement before being taken into custody.

According to reports from The New York Times, citing anonymous law enforcement officials, Allen was found to be carrying knives, a shotgun, and a pistol. His primary target, authorities believe, was President Trump himself, who was attending the dinner for the first time as commander-in-chief. The President recounted hearing a loud noise before Secret Service agents rushed to escort him and the First Lady to safety.

Shots fired.

— Secret Service agentShouted during the incident, alerting attendees and security to the unfolding threat.

Further details emerging from the investigation, including information from the BBC and The New York Times, describe Allen as an independent video game developer and a computer science teacher. Federal Election Commission records indicate he made a $25 donation to a platform in October 2024. Washington's acting Police Chief, Jeffery Carroll, stated that while the suspect was not hit by gunfire, he was hospitalized for evaluation, and initial findings suggest he was a 'lone gunman.' This incident underscores the persistent security challenges faced by high-profile political figures and the vigilance required to protect them.

So far, everything indicates that this is an individual who acted alone. He was a lone gunman.

— Jeffery CarrollActing Chief of Police in Washington, D.C., providing initial assessment of the suspect's motive and involvement.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Prensa Libre in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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