A Man Shoots Inside The Hotel Where The President and Staff Were All Together
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| At the Washington Hilton last night.Salwan Georges for The New York Times |
Investigators are searching for a motive after a shooting in the hotel where the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was taking place last night. President Trump was rushed offstage after a man armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives charged a security checkpoint. Trump is unharmed.
Gunfire rang out just after the dinner began, and Trump, the first lady and hundreds of journalists looked up from their conversations. “Shots fired,” a member of the Secret Service shouted. Then agents, their guns drawn, sprinted to reach the president. Guests dressed in gowns and tuxedos hid under their seats. See the dramatic video.
The man was tackled by law enforcement officers and was taken into custody. A Secret Service officer was shot but was “saved” by his bulletproof vest, Trump said.
Trump posted two images of a man he said was the attacker being detained. He also posted surveillance footage on social media of a man making a mad dash through the cavernous halls of the hotel.
Trump held a news conference in the White House briefing room later last night, still dressed in his tuxedo and bow tie, to talk about the events of the evening.
“Well, thank you very much,” he said. “That was very unexpected!”
Melania Trump stood near him, looking stoic. The president said that it was “a rather traumatic experience for her.”
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| President Trump with his arm raised standing behind a lectern. |
President Trump at the White House last night.Credit...Salwan Georges for The New York Times
Here’s what else we know.
The suspect: Two law enforcement officials have identified Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., as the suspect in the shooting. Federal authorities surrounded his home late Saturday.
At the hotel: See maps of the gunman’s movements inside the Washington Hilton, where the event took place.
Inside the ballroom: Attendees dropped to the floor, crouching beside chairs and ducking under tables as a sense of danger spread through the room.
Party postponed: Trump said that he had hoped to continue the dinner, because he didn’t want “sick people” to “change the fabric of our life,” but that he ultimately decided to reschedule it. Some afterparties, however, continued as scheduled.
Security threats: After two previous assassination attempts against Trump, this latest incident is reigniting the conversation about political violence in the U.S.
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