WASHINGTON: The man accused of attempting to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with guns and knives had written about targeting Trump administration officials, while his family had alerted law enforcement agencies before the event, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday.
In an interview on Fox News Channel, Trump said the suspect’s relatives had contacted law enforcement in Connecticut, raising concerns ahead of the incident that disrupted one of Washington’s most prominent annual events.
The suspect, identified by law enforcement officials as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, is expected to face criminal charges on Monday, according to the US Department of Justice.
As the sound of shots was heard in the ballroom hosting the dinner, attendees, including members of the press, their family members, and government officials, immediately fell silent, CNN reported.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 26, 2026
US Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the suspect had travelled by train from California and checked into a Washington hotel days before the event.
Investigators who examined the suspect’s writings, electronic devices and statements from relatives believe he intended to target Trump administration officials attending the dinner, Blanche said.
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC News.
Blanche added that the suspect likely travelled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington.
The suspect will be charged in federal court on Monday with assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer, Blanche said.
BREAKING: President Trump and First Lady are rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
It is unclear what led up to the evacuation, but attendees of the event were seen on video feed ducking and covering around their tables. pic.twitter.com/GbbXmL223t
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 26, 2026
White House shooting incident
The suspect — who was armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives, according to CNN — had charged a checkpoint at the hotel, opening fire at a Secret Service agent, before being tackled and arrested.
Secret Service Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the shooting took place near the main screening area at the entrance of the event.
The agent who was shot was hit in an area covered by protective gear and not harmed, a Federal Bureau of Investigation official told Reuters.
Secret Service officers in combat gear rushed into the dining room, providing cover to Trump and the first lady, who had bent down behind the dais before being hustled out by Secret Service officers.
Trump describes suspect as ‘lone wolf’
Speaking at a press conference after the attack, Trump said the attacker was a “would-be assassin” armed with multiple weapons who charged a security checkpoint before being subdued by Secret Service personnel.
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner by Secret Service agents on Saturday night after a man opened fire on security personnel, officials said.
A man carrying a shotgun opened fire on a Secret Service agent during the event, an FBI official told Reuters, adding that the officer was struck in an area protected by body armour and was not injured.
All federal officials, including Trump, were safe. About an hour after Trump was rushed from the event, he posted on Truth Social that a “shooter had been apprehended”.
Trump said one officer was shot but was saved by a bulletproof vest, adding that authorities had reviewed the circumstances and found no indication of a broader plot.
“In my opinion, he was a lone wolf,” he said, describing the suspect as a “whack job” and ruling out any apparent connection to the Iran conflict.
“Quite an evening in DC, Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job,” Trump added.
President Donald J. Trump delivers a statement following a shooter near the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. pic.twitter.com/wOr1SjdfvP
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 26, 2026
Shortly afterwards, Trump posted, “The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition”.
Secret Service investigating shooting incident
Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesman, said the service was investigating a shooting near the main screening area at the entrance to the event.
Multiple US news outlets identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, in the southwest of Los Angeles County.
The federal prosecutor said the shooting suspect will be arraigned in the US capital on Monday and appear before a US district judge.
According to US Attorney Jeanine Piro, the suspect will be charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
After the sound of shots, dinner attendees immediately stopped talking, and people started screaming, “Get down, get down!”
Hundreds of guests dove under the tables as Secret Service officers in combat gear ran into the dining room. Trump and the first lady had bent down behind the dais before being hustled out by Secret Service officers.
Many of the 2,600 attendees took cover while waiters fled to the front of the dining hall.
Security agents pushed cabinet officials to the ground, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Trump praises law enforcement agencies
In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump confirmed that he was safe and praised the swift response of law enforcement agencies.
He stated that the suspected shooter had been apprehended and that authorities were handling the situation.
“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely,” Trump wrote, adding that while he had initially suggested continuing the event, the final decision would rest with security officials.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 26, 2026
Shortly afterwards, he announced that law enforcement had ordered a full evacuation of the premises in line with protocol.
“The First Lady, the Vice President, and all Cabinet members are in perfect condition,” he said, adding that he would address the nation in a press briefing within 30 minutes from the White House.
The dinner was subsequently cancelled, with Trump indicating it would be rescheduled within the next 30 days.
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said preliminary charges include firearms offences and assault on a law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon, though she indicated that further charges are likely as the investigation continues.
Suspect identified as California tutor
Social media profiles and publicly available records that appear to match the California man arrested on Saturday in connection with the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner indicate that he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.
A May 2025 profile photograph of Cole Tomas Allen, a resident of Torrance, California, appears to correspond with the image of the alleged attacker being taken into custody, which was shared on Saturday night by US President Donald Trump on social media.
According to AP, the LinkedIn photograph shows Allen wearing a graduation cap and gown after completing a master’s degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills.
Allen, aged 31, also holds a bachelor’s degree awarded in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
During his time at the institute, he reportedly participated in a Christian student fellowship and was involved in a campus group known for recreational activities that included Nerf gun battles.
An interview broadcast by a local ABC affiliate in Los Angeles during Allen’s final year of undergraduate study featured him discussing emerging technologies designed to assist elderly individuals.
In that segment, he had presented a prototype for an innovative emergency braking system intended for wheelchairs.
According to his online résumé, Allen has spent the past six years employed at C2 Education, an organisation providing admissions guidance and test preparation services for prospective college students.
A 2024 Facebook post by the company identified him as its “teacher of the month”. The organisation has not yet responded to requests for comment. Allen has also been active in software development and gaming projects.
He reportedly created a video game available on the Steam platform, centred around molecular chemistry.
In addition, posts attributed to him describe ongoing work on a “top-down shooter” style combat game set in a science fiction, outer space environment.
