Washington – Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

US law enforcement authorities announced the arrest of a gunman who opened fire during the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Hilton Hotel, an incident that occurred while President Donald Trump and his wife Melania were present.

The gunman told investigators that he was targeting officials in the Trump administration.

The US president posted a photo of the suspect on his personal Truth Social account.

The suspect, identified as Cole Thomas Allen, was charged with two counts of carrying a weapon during a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, and using a dangerous weapon, according to the Youm7 news website.

CNN reported that the suspect was a teacher and video game developer from Southern California.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Allen graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and earned a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills last year. While studying at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Allen was featured in a local news report in 2017 for developing a prototype emergency brake for wheelchairs.

According to Federal Election Commission records, Allen donated $25 to Kamala Harris's presidential campaign in October 2024. Allen described himself on his LinkedIn profile as a video game developer and appears to have published an indie game called "Bordome" for sale on Steam for $1.99. He trademarked the game's name in 2018, according to federal trademark filings.

Immediately after the incident, the US president held a press conference in which he praised his security detail for their immediate response, despite emphasizing that there was no prior intelligence indicating what was about to happen.

The gunman shot one of the security personnel, whom Donald Trump later spoke to, confirming that he was "doing well." The president also released security camera footage from the hotel, documenting the moment the gunman attempted to breach security in the reception area. When asked why he was targeted, Trump suggested it might be because he was a "very influential" person, comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln. He said, "I've studied assassinations, and I have to tell you, the most influential people, the ones who have the most impact... look at these people... Abraham Lincoln. I mean, if you look at people who have had similar experiences, you see where they've been found. But the ones who have the most impact, who leave the biggest mark, are the ones they target." This was reported by Euronews, the European news network based in Brussels. Abraham Lincoln was the first US president to be assassinated, shot in the head in 1865. Trump said the experience was "painful for Melania," noting that he initially didn't want to leave the room, but protocol required him to. The US president continued, saying, "We will not allow anyone to control our society."

Describing the moment of the incident, he added, "I thought it was a cylinder falling. I've heard that bang many times. It was a very loud noise, coming from far away. It didn't reach our area at all. They heard it, they could track it, but it was very far away. But it was the sound of a gun. Some people realized it quickly, and others didn't. I was watching what was happening. Maybe I should have gone down faster. I think Melania was very aware of what was happening. I think she understood immediately. She was saying, 'That's a disturbing noise.' And we were evacuated very quickly, along with others," Trump described the incident.

Arrest of the perpetrator

Police officials confirmed that the perpetrator was armed with a handgun, a rifle, and knives. Initial investigations indicated that he was a guest at the hotel, and he will be brought to justice on Monday. Washington State Attorney General Jeanine Pirro stated that the attacker "clearly wanted to injure as many people as possible." The shooting took place in the lobby outside the hall and in the same hotel where President Ronald Reagan was assassinated on March 30, 1981, by John Hinckley Jr., who fired six shots in a few seconds, one of which hit Reagan in the chest. He was then taken to George Washington Hospital where he immediately underwent surgery, before the perpetrator was later acquitted on the grounds of insanity.