Overview
- The shooting outside the Washington Hilton on Saturday began when an armed man rushed a security checkpoint, exchanged gunfire with Secret Service, and was detained as one officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
- Authorities identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, and said they recovered a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives at the scene.
- Investigators believe Allen traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington and checked in as a hotel guest near the ballroom where the White House Correspondents' Dinner was underway.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said evidence indicates the suspect set out to target administration officials, likely including the president, and that he has not been cooperating with investigators.
- Federal prosecutors plan to charge Allen with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer, as agents review writings sent to family that mocked perceived lax security, search his home and hotel room, and as organizers weigh when and how to reschedule the event.