An armed man was arrested Saturday evening after forcing his way into the Hilton Hotel in Washington, where the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner was being held. Present for the first time at this event as president, Donald Trump was urgently evacuated by the security services.
Police say the suspect was carrying two firearms and several knives. It did not reach the dinner room and caused no casualties. Arrested without being injured, he was photographed handcuffed on the ground. Images broadcast in particular by the president himself on social networks.
“This is not the first time in recent years that our Republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin who sought to kill,” declared Donald Trump during a press conference shortly after the incident. “We’re already searching his apartment right now.”he added, referring to a “lone wolf” And “a sick person”.
The suspect, 31 years old and from California, is named Cole Tomas Allen. His LinkedIn profile describes a mechanical and computer engineer, also a video game developer and teacher, working since 2020 for a tutoring company where he was named “teacher of the month” in December 2024. He reportedly donated $25 to the Democratic Party’s political action committee to support Kamala Harris’ candidacy for president in 2024.
An “anti-Christian” manifesto according to Trump
According to CBS News, the suspect told law enforcement after his arrest that he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials. A search is carried out at his alleged home in California.
During the day on Sunday, the American president clarified that Cole Tomas Allen had written a text “very anti-Christian”. “When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians”he told Fox News.
The suspect must appear in court on Monday and will be prosecuted in particular for using a firearm during a violent crime and for assaulting a federal agent with a dangerous weapon.
