The suspect who opened fire during the White House Correspondents\u2019 Association dinner<\/a> at the Washington Hilton on Saturday was described by President Trump as a \u201csick guy\u201d who \u201chates Christians\u201d after his manifesto revealed he had targeted the president and his administration. <\/p>\n Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, sent an anti-Trump manifesto to his family members moments before the shooting, calling himself the \u201cFriendly Federal Assassin.\u201d<\/p>\n Gunshots rang out inside the hotel shortly after 8:30pm, prompting scenes of panic as Secret Service agents rushed the president<\/a> and other Cabinet officials out of the ballroom, while others took cover beneath tables.<\/p>\n The suspect shot and injured one law enforcement officer, before being detained near the hotel screening area, officials said. <\/p>\n Following the incident, the annual black-tie dinner was canceled, and Trump hosted a press conference at the White House shortly after 10:30pm, where he applauded law enforcement for their swift response.<\/p>\n Still dressed in his tuxedo from the dinner, Trump called the assailant a \u201cthug\u201d and a \u201clone wolf,\u201d while Justice Department officials said the suspect has been charged with firearms and assault charges.<\/p>\n <\/a>DOJ urges group to drop White House ballroom lawsuit<\/p>\n In a letter shared by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche Sunday on X, the Justice Department is asking the National Trust for Historic Preservation to drop its lawsuit seeking to stop the president from building a White House ballroom.<\/p>\n The letter claims last night\u2019s shooting shows that the proposed ballroom is needed \u201cfor the safety and security of the President.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPut simply, your lawsuit puts the lives of the President, his family, and his staff at grave risk,\u201d the department\u2019s civil division head, Brett Shumate, wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope yesterday\u2019s narrow miss will help you finally realize the folly of a lawsuit that literally serves no purpose except to stop President Trump no matter the cost.\u201d<\/p>\n Andrea Cavallier26 April 2026 22:04<\/p>\n <\/a>The history of violence against President Donald Trump<\/p>\n President Trump is no stranger to attacks on his life. On Saturday night, he once again was forced to duck for cover and then quickly rushed out of the White House Correspondents\u2019 Association dinner as shots rang out. <\/p>\n Coincidentally, the shooting took place at the hotel where, on March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. shot Ronald Reagan.<\/p>\n But Saturday night\u2019s incident was not the first time there had been an attempt on Trump\u2019s life.<\/p>\n Most notably, as he campaigned for re-election, someone shot the then-former president, an event which galvanized his base.<\/p>\n The president and his allies are now using the incident to make the case for Trump\u2019s proposed ballroom in the White House.<\/p>\n But the shooting reveals that the president has faced unique threats regardless of where he goes. <\/p>\n Eric Garcia provides a breakdown each of the assassination attempts on the president:<\/strong><\/p>\n Andrea Cavallier26 April 2026 21:30<\/p>\n <\/a>Who is suspected shooter Cole Allen?<\/p>\n While the motive remains a question, the suspected shooter has been identified as 31-year-old California man Cole Tomas Allen. <\/p>\n Allen, a 2017 graduate of California Institute of Technology, was working as a teacher at the time of his arrest while also developing computer games. In 2019, he registered the domain name \u201cBohrdom\u201d for a game he created and released on Steam. It is described as a \u201cskill-based, non-violent asymmetrical fighting game loosely derived from a chemistry model that is itself loosely based on reality.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2025, he attained a master’s degree in computer science from \u200cCalifornia \u2060State University at Dominguez Hills in 2025.<\/p>\n While a student at Caltech, Allen was a member of the school\u2019s Christian fellowship and the Nerf club. He was featured in a 2017 photo that was posted by the school on Facebook following his graduation. In that photo, he\u2019s holding a picture of himself as a child with a stuffed rabbit.<\/p>\n In December 2024, a Facebook post from private tutoring service C2 Education named Allen as \u201cTeacher of the Month.\u201d<\/p>\n On his LinkedIn page, Allen described himself as a \u201cmechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, \u200bindependent game developer by experience, teacher by birth.\u201d He lists his \u201dCauses\u201d on that profile as \u201dScience and Technology.\u201d<\/p>\n Allen contributed $25 to a Democratic Party political action committee in support of Kamala Harris for president in 2024, according to federal campaign finance records. <\/p>\n A yard sign displayed at the family home supported a local candidate for judge who was endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.<\/p>\n Andrea Cavallier26 April 2026 21:01<\/p>\n <\/a>Employer of suspected gunman says it is cooperating with authorities<\/p>\n Suspected gunman Cole Allen worked as a teacher with C2 Education’s center in Torrance, California. <\/p>\n C2 Education, a tutoring company, said in a statement that it is cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate the attack. <\/p>\n \u201cWe were shocked to hear the news of the horrifying incident that transpired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,\u201d they said in a statement, according to CBS News. <\/p>\n \u201dWe are cooperating fully with law enforcement to assist them in their investigation. Violence of any kind is never the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n Allen was reportedly awarded \u201cTeacher of the Month\u201d in December 2024, according to a Facebook post, which has since been removed. <\/p>\n Andrea Cavallier26 April 2026 20:42<\/p>\n <\/a>Top Trump figures at odds over future of Secret Service chief amid claims of lax security at dinner, report claims<\/p>\n New scrutiny is falling on the shoulders of the Secret Service and its chief, Sean Curran, after Saturday night\u2019s shooting at the White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner.<\/p>\n Publicly, members of the administration praised the Secret Service for agents\u2019 quick response on Saturday after a suspected gunman charged the ballroom in the basement of the Washington Hilton, where hundreds of journalists and administration VIPs including the president and vice president were seated for the annual event. <\/p>\n No persons inside the ballroom were injured, and the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, was tackled before getting inside.<\/p>\n In private, however, Real Clear Politics reports that seasoned security officials are raising alarms over the Secret Service and the agency\u2019s ability to protect the president. <\/p>\n Numerous sources familiar with presidential security protocols bashed Saturday night\u2019s security apparatus at the Hilton in comments to the publication, echoing some criticism leveled by attendees and politicians on social media after the event.<\/p>\n Andrea Cavallier26 April 2026 20:16<\/p>\n <\/a>\u2018Are we about to die?\u2019: What Oz the Mentalist saw as he and Trump locked eyes on the ballroom floor<\/p>\n For a brief moment, after the shooting at the White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner sent the room into chaos, President Trump and the evening\u2019s featured entertainer, mentalist Oz Pearlman, crouched down feet away from each other and shared a glance.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll never forget the image for my whole life,\u201d Pearlman told CNN.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just look at each other for about two seconds, and my mind, obviously, this is like a huge adrenaline [rush], is just like, \u2018Oh no, are we about to die?\u2019\u201d he remembers thinking.<\/p>\n Andrea Cavallier26 April 2026 19:46<\/p>\n <\/a>Buckingham Palace confirms King\u2019s US visit is on<\/p>\n Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles\u2019 US visit will go on as planned, despite the incident at last night\u2019s White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner.<\/p>\n \u201cFollowing discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the state visit by their majesties will proceed as planned,\u201d a palace spokesperson said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe king and queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting underway tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n The decision comes several hours after security discussions were taking place earlier Sunday. <\/p>\n Andrea Cavallier26 April 2026 19:40<\/p>\n <\/a>Trump to appear on \u201860 Minutes\u2019 tonight<\/p>\n President Trump will appear on CBS News\u2019 \u201c60 Minutes,\u201d according to White House communications director Steven Cheung, who posted on X. <\/p>\n \u201cPresident Trump sits down with 60 Minutes to discuss what happened at the White House Correspondents Association dinner last night,\u201d he wrote. <\/p>\n Andrea Cavallier26 April 2026 19:20<\/p>\n![\"Law](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-26T151014Z_409701269_RC2RWKAFQQCJ_RTRMADP_3_USA-TRUMP-DINNER.jpg\")
Law enforcement personnel detain Cole Tomas Allen, a suspect in the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, in Washington, D.C., U.S. April 25, 2026. DONALD J TRUMP via Truth Social\/Handout via REUTERS (Reuters)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-04-26T174555Z_8033206_RC25XKARXDVI_RTRMADP_3_USA-TRUMP-DINNER-SUSPECT.jpg\")
(Reuters)<\/p>\n