Authorities detail suspect’s movements and motives as investigation unfolds into attempted attack targeting top U.S. officials at high-profile Washington gathering
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Sunday that the man accused of attempting to attack administration officials at a black-tie gala was a “pretty sick guy” who had previously been reported to law enforcement by family members.
In television interviews, Trump said the suspect—identified by officials as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California—had published what he described as an “anti-Christian” manifesto.
“He was a Christian, believer, and then he became an anti-Christian, and he had a lot of change,” Trump told CBS’ 60 Minutes. “He was probably a pretty sick guy.”
The incident raised renewed concerns about the security of senior U.S. officials, many of whom were gathered in a large hotel ballroom at the time.
“This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. It cannot be built fast enough!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
According to acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, the suspect traveled by Amtrak from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, checking into the Hilton hotel on Friday. Blanche said Trump and senior administration officials were likely the intended targets. Passengers on U.S. trains are not subject to airport-style metal detector screenings.
Amtrak said it is cooperating with investigators.
Officials said the suspect opened fire with a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint inside the Washington Hilton before being subdued and arrested. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Cabinet members were quickly evacuated as the situation unfolded. The injured agent avoided serious harm as the गोली struck his protective vest, Trump said.
Trump, who had previously boycotted the media gala, has asked for the event to be rescheduled within 30 days. Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said the group’s board would decide next steps.
Blanche said the suspect will face federal charges on Monday, including assaulting a federal officer, discharging a firearm, and attempting to kill a federal officer. He added that it remains unclear whether Iran had any connection to the attack, and noted that additional federal indictments are expected.
A White House official said investigators learned from Allen’s sister that he had a history of making radical statements, had attended an anti-Trump “No Kings” protest, and had spoken about plans to do “something” to address perceived problems in the world.
Trump suggested the protest may have influenced the suspect’s actions. “Part of the reason you have people like that is you have people doing No Kings,” he told CBS. “I’m not a king.”
World leaders condemned the attack and expressed relief that Trump and other attendees were unharmed.
A planned U.S. visit by King Charles III, scheduled to begin Monday, will proceed as planned, according to U.S. and British officials.
Limited details were immediately available about the suspect’s background, though social media indicated he had worked for C2 Education, a private test preparation and tutoring firm, which said it is cooperating with authorities.
Washington Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.
A White House official added that Allen had purchased two handguns and a shotgun, storing them at his parents’ home.
The suspect lived with his parents in a two-story house in the historic district of Torrance, a coastal community in the South Bay region of greater Los Angeles. Neighbors described only limited interactions with him and his family, saying they typically exchanged brief greetings or saw them during neighborhood occasions such as Halloween.
