The suspected gunman in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner will appear Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C.
President Trump was evacuated after shots rang out at the annual media dinner, which was packed with more than 2,500 politicians, journalists and celebrities on Saturday night. Authorities said a Secret Service agent was struck by a round but was protected by a bulletproof vest and has since been released from the hospital.
Authorities were able to stop and apprehend the suspect, who was evaluated at a local hospital before being moved to a D.C. jail. The suspect has been identified as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Saturday night that Allen will be charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, and predicted he will face more charges Monday.
“It is clear, based upon what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could, and thankfully, because of the checkpoint right outside the ballroom where thousands of people were situated to hear the president of the United States, that checkpoint worked,” Pirro said. “There was no one who was injured, but it was clear where this defendant was going.”
The FBI is conducting a criminal investigation, and the Secret Service is investigating the suspect’s background to understand what precipitated the shooting.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday that investigators believe the suspect was targeting Trump administration officials.
CBS News obtained a copy of what investigators say is a “manifesto” that was written by Allen and left behind. In his alleged writings, Allen said he planned the attack because he didn’t want the “crimes” of the administration to “coat [his] hands.” He didn’t refer to Mr. Trump or the event by name, but allegedly said he intended to target administration officials “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.”
