United States President, Donald Trump, on Sunday shared the first images of the alleged gunman taken into custody following the security breach at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Addressing reporters shortly after the incident, he stated that the suspect was armed with “multiple weapons” and hailed from California.
In a separate post on social media, Trump also released footage that appeared to capture the suspect running through a security checkpoint before being apprehended by authorities.
Law enforcement officials, cited by the Associated Press, identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance.
Trump described the incident as “unexpected” and referred to the suspect as a “lone wolf” and a “whack job,” adding that security personnel intervened before the situation could escalate further.
He said he had initially planned to proceed with the event despite the disruption, noting that he had “fought like hell to stay” for the dinner. He added that he would not allow “these sick people, thugs, horrible people” to dictate events.
Reflecting on political violence, Trump remarked that it was “not the first time a Republican has been attacked” and suggested that prominent figures are often targets.
“I’ve studied assassinations. The people who do the most, make the biggest impact, they are the ones they go after,” he said.
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were not harmed during the incident, which led to the evacuation of them and other senior officials from the dinner on Saturday night.
Authorities confirmed that gunshots were fired outside the ballroom where the president and guests were gathered, though details surrounding the sequence of events remain unclear.
No injuries were immediately recorded. Trump later announced that the event had been cancelled and would be rescheduled within 30 days.
In a statement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed the suspect is in custody and said its Washington field office is leading the ongoing investigation.
