The president of the United States, Donald Trump, along with his wife, Melania Trump, and his Cabinet had to be evacuated this Saturday from a dinner organized by the White House Correspondents’ Association, which was finally neutralized by the US Secret Service.
The detainee, of whom the US president has shared an image, is a Californian teacher known as Cole Tomas Allen, who according to first information was wearing a hunting shotgun, a pistol and several knives. This is the third attempted attack against him in the last 24 months.
Who is Cole Allen:
Allen is 31 years old and, until now, he led a life away from the spotlight. He lived in Torrance, a coastal city in California near Los Angeles, it is part time teacher and also develops video games on his own. He trained at the California Institute of Technology, where he studied mechanical engineering, and years later completed a master’s degree in computer science at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
In his public profiles he appears as someone linked to the technological world, with experience in robotics and digital development. In fact, he even participated in academic competitions during his university years. In December 2024 he was named teacher of the month.
Authorities believe Allen he was staying in the same hotel where the correspondents’ dinner was being held, the Washington Hilton, scene of the incident in which President Donald Trump was evacuated without suffering damage. The reasons that led him to commit such an action are unknown, for which he is now expected to face two charges.
According to the information available, the detainee He was armed with a shotgun and opened fire on an agent before being subdued. The police officer was injured, although out of danger. The shooting took place, curiously, in the same place as the attempted assassination of Reagan in 1981, at the Washington Hilton hotel on Connecticut Avenue. , while Allen, who is receiving hospital treatment, will be formally charged this Monday.
Chronology of events:
- 20:35 (local time): Gunshots are heard at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the event was being held.
- Moments later: The Secret Service acts immediately. Officers surround President Donald Trump and escort him out of the room to safety.
- 21:17: Trump reports that the alleged attacker has been arrested.
- 21:36: The president indicates that he is leaving the hotel at the request of the security forces.
- 22:29: Images of the beginning of the shooting are released and, shortly after, a photograph of the suspect already in custody.
- 22:30:Trump appears from the White House along with security officials. At that time, he indicates that the initial impression is that the attacker acted alone.
- 22:50 (approximately): American media identify the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31 years old.
- 23:10: Images are broadcast of a police search at a home linked to the suspect in Torrance, California.
- 23:15: The prosecutor’s office announces that it plans to file formal charges against the detainee on Monday.
