- The shooter targeted members of President Donald Trump’s administration.
- When they tried to break into the hall, chaos ensued and President Trump was immediately evacuated.
- The attacker hit the policeman in the bulletproof vest and the security forces neutralized him.
- Suspect Cole Thomas Allen was in possession of a shotgun, handgun, knives and is refusing to cooperate.
Members of President Donald Trump’s administration were targeted by the man who opened fire Sunday night at a press dinner at a Washington hotel, according to Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanch. According to findings so far, he traveled by train from California to Chicago and from there to Washington, where he stayed at a hotel where a dinner was held with the participation of the US president and high-ranking members of the administration. TASR informs about it according to the AP agency.
Law enforcement authorities examined the shooter’s electronic devices and his documents. From the established facts, they believe that he intended to attack the members of the administration present at the dinner.
He tried to burst into the hall, but was knocked to the ground in the ensuing chaos, leading to gunfire and President Trump’s quick removal from the stage. “It seems like he really targeted people working in the administration, which probably included the president,” Blanche said on NBC.
A video posted by Trump on social media shows the suspect running through security barriers as Secret Service agents walk toward him. The attacker hit one of the policemen in the bulletproof vest. According to American authorities, his condition is improving. “The attacker failed,” Blanche said. “The members of the security forces fulfilled their duty,” he emphasized.
According to American media, the suspect in the shooting is 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen from California, who was armed with a shotgun, a pistol and knives. It appears from his posts on social networks that he is an educated person and an amateur video game developer. The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms within the past two years. According to Blanch, he is not cooperating with the investigators, and on Monday they will probably bring several charges against him.
