Cole Allen, a 31-year-old computer scientist from Torrance, California, attempted to breach security during the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday while armed with multiple weapons, including a shotgun, handgun, and knives. According to multiple reports, Allen sent a manifesto targeting Trump administration officials to his family before the attack, prompting one relative to alert authorities.
Key Takeaways
Cole Allen, a 31-year-old computer scientist from California, attempted to breach security during the White House Correspondents' Dinner while armed with multiple weapons. He sent a manifesto targeting Trump administration officials before the attack. One Secret Service agent was injured but is expected to recover. The FBI is investigating his motives and purchases leading up to the incident.
Allen rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel during the event. A Secret Service agent was injured but is expected to recover thanks to wearing a ballistic vest. Authorities have taken Allen into custody, and he is scheduled for an initial court appearance on Monday.
The manifesto detailed Allen's plans to target administration officials and contained anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric. According to Fox News, law enforcement sources said that Allen had been talking with police but stopped cooperating by Sunday morning. The FBI is examining Allen's electronics and writings to determine his motive, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Allen traveled from California to Chicago via train before heading to Washington D.C., according to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche quoted in the Los Angeles Times. President Trump stressed the need for a high-security White House ballroom following Saturday night's shooting, mentioning that the new ballroom will have four-inch-thick bulletproof glass and other security features, as reported by Fox News.
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