A man armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives rushed a Secret Service checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night, exchanging gunfire with law enforcement before being subdued, officials said.
President Donald Trump told the press that the suspect, later identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, according to law enforcement, had been captured and that investigators were headed to his apartment. Allen, he said, had been “totally subdued and under control” by Secret Service officers.
Law enforcement officials said the suspect, described as a “sole gunman,” rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at 8:36 p.m., running toward the ballroom where President Trump and other high-profile political figures were gathered, with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives. D.C. Metro Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said Allen was a guest at the hotel.
“We do know that law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the individual,” Carroll told the gathered press, later clarifying that preliminary details indicated that Allen did discharge a weapon, although he noted that it was early in the investigation. Allen was stopped by Secret Service officers and taken to a hospital for evaluation. Allen was not struck by gunfire, officials said.
Trump told reporters Saturday night that one officer was shot at close range but was not seriously hurt, thanks to a bulletproof vest, and was in “great shape.”
Photos and video posted by Trump on social media showed Allen shirtless, on the ground. Video depicted Allen running past several armed security officers. As he passed, one officer appeared to draw a weapon. It was not immediately clear whether the officer fired.
Trump said the suspect charged the checkpoint armed with multiple weapons and was subdued by Secret Service members. He described the suspect as “a guy who looked pretty evil” and said he was “fighting hard” while being pinned down by law enforcement. He added that investigators believed him to be a “lone wolf,” a view he agreed with.
