US President Donald Trump and his administration officials were the "likely" targets of a suspect who opened fire at a Washington DC hotel hosting the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC News on Sunday.
The suspect, identified by US media as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was arrested after police say he fired multiple shots near a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night. No one was struck by gunfire, though an officer was injured by debris and later released from the hospital after his bulletproof vest stopped a bullet.
Blanche said the motive remains under investigation but preliminary evidence points to the suspect targeting administration officials. The FBI's criminal division and a joint terrorism task force are probing the incident.
Trump, who was rushed offstage with First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance, later told reporters: "I can't imagine that there's any profession that's more dangerous." In a statement, the White House said Trump "stands fearless" after facing what it called an assassination attempt.
Allen, a mechanical engineer from Torrance, California, allegedly traveled from Los Angeles to Chicago by train before arriving in Washington. He was carrying two firearms and knives. Family members alerted police after receiving writings from him that indicated an intent to target officials, though the messages did not specifically mention the dinner, according to a senior US official.
Allen is expected to be formally charged Monday with assaulting a federal officer and using a firearm during a crime of violence.
The attack marks the third known threat against Trump in recent years. He was grazed by a bullet at a July 2024 rally in Pennsylvania, and a suspected gunman was spotted at his Florida golf club in September 2024.
White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia Jiang called the incident "harrowing" and thanked the Secret Service for protecting thousands of guests. The event was abruptly halted and is set to be rescheduled.