Acting Attorney General: White House Correspondents’ Dinner Gunman Targeted Trump Administration

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that investigators believe the gunman who tried to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner had been targeting Donald Trump and his administration's officials. “It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told Meet the Press.

Law enforcement officials who examined the suspect’s electronic devices and writings preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members attending the dinner. He attempted to charge into the ballroom but was tackled to the ground in a chaotic scene that led to shots being fired, President Donald Trump being rushed off the stage and guests ducking under tables.

Blanche said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where he checked in as a guest at the hotel hosting the high-profile event on Saturday night. Investigators have not publicly named the suspect, but two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter identified him to the Associated Press as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance. Police also visited the California home of Allen.

Blanche said the suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years. He added that the suspect is "not actively cooperating" with the investigation and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday. DC police chief Jeffrey Carroll said, “At this point it does appear he is a lone actor, a lone gunman.”