President Donald Trump said Friday that the suspect arrested in a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner venue likely acted alone and that a link to Iran, which the United States is at war with, appeared unlikely.
According to The Associated Press and other outlets, Trump told a White House news conference that when he first heard the shots, “I thought it was a tray dropping,” adding that it was “pretty loud” and sounded “pretty far away.”
He said the suspect rushed from about 50 yards (about 45 meters) away, but Secret Service agents responded immediately. Trump said one agent was hit but survived because he was wearing “a very good bulletproof vest.”
Trump said he had been attending the WHCA dinner Friday evening at the Washington Hilton in Washington when the shots were heard and he was evacuated. He said no attendees were wounded and the suspect was arrested at the scene.
Trump identified the suspect as Cole Thomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California. “They seem to think it’s a lone wolf. I think so, too,” he said.
He said investigators searched Allen’s apartment and described him as someone with “very serious mental problems.”
Asked about a possible Iran-related motive, Trump said, “I don’t think so,” but added, “You don’t know. We’re going to learn a lot” through the investigation.
Referring to the incident, Trump urged Americans “to recommit, with all their hearts, to resolving conflicts peacefully.” He also cited two previous assassination attempts against him and said political disputes should be settled without violence.
Trump was shot during an outdoor campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, suffering a wound that pierced the upper part of his right ear. He faced a second assassination attempt on Sept. 15 that year at a golf course in Florida.
At the news conference, Trump said assassination attempts are carried out against “the most influential people,” adding, “I’ve done a lot. This country, which was mocked for years, has become the hottest country in the world.”
He said, “We changed this country, and it seems there are many people who don’t like that,” and stressed the incident “will not stop me from winning the war with Iran.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who appeared with Trump, said the suspect would soon be charged, including on firearms-related allegations. FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators were working to determine the suspect’s background and whether there were any accomplices.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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