Investigators seek motive for attack at White House dinner in DC

The acting attorney general said Sunday that investigators have gathered details and other evidence about the suspect in a shooting that led Secret Service agents to hastily remove President Donald Trump from the stage during the White House correspondents’ dinner. The attack raised questions not only about the shooter’s motivation, but also about how he managed to get close to one of the most watched events in Washington.

The suspect, identified by two law enforcement officials on condition of anonymity as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was detained after running through a security checkpoint and exchanging gunfire with authorities inside the Washington Hilton on Saturday night. Authorities said he never made it to the ballroom, where Trump, senior administration officials and hundreds of journalists were gathered.

Investigators were able to obtain some information from the suspect’s electronic devices and interviewed people who knew him, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. The shooter “left the house with the aim of targeting people who work in the administration, probably including the president,” Blanche said, although he stressed that the understanding of his motivation may change as the evidence is analyzed.

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Late Saturday night, federal authorities in the Los Angeles suburbs surrounded a two-story home where records indicate Allen lives. Residents gathered on dark sidewalks as police helicopters circled overhead and squad cars with red and blue lights blocked the street.

The suspect was armed with knives, a shotgun and a pistol, Washington, D.C. Police Acting Chief Jeffery W. Carroll told reporters Saturday night. Blanche stated that he purchased the two guns he carried “within the last two years.”

On Saturday, there were no metal detectors installed at hotel entrances, and a secure perimeter was only established closer to the ballroom. Blanche defended the event’s security scheme, highlighting that the suspect did not enter the room where Trump, Vice President JD Vance and cabinet members were among the guests. “The system worked,” said Blanche, who was also in the room. “We were safe, President Trump was safe.”

The attack reignited questions about political violence in the United States and security surrounding Trump, one of the most targeted presidents in history. In 2024, he had his ear grazed in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and, months later, was hastily removed when a federal agent shot an armed man at his Florida golf club.

See what else we’re tracking:

— Accusations: The suspect faces federal firearms and assault charges and is expected to be formally arraigned in federal court on Monday, with further charges possible, said Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. She did not release the name of the suspect.

— The suspect: Investigators determined that the suspect took a train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then from Chicago to Washington, Blanche said, and stayed at the Washington Hilton a day or two before the hotel hosted the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday.

— Scene in the hall: There were no announcements or shouts of “get down” in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton on Saturday. Security officers with guns drawn appeared on stage as the president and first lady Melania Trump were quickly escorted off.

— Royal visit: Buckingham Palace said in a statement that King Charles III, who is due to begin a state visit to the United States on Monday, was “kept fully informed of developments”. The palace said discussions were ongoing to assess how the attack might affect planning for the king’s visit.

— Video: Trump released a brief surveillance video showing a man running through the security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was being held. In the images, agents draw their weapons and appear to start shooting.

— Hotel history: The Washington Hilton is the same hotel where John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

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