Blanche: Authorities believe suspect was targeting Trump administration officials

Washington — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that investigators believe the armed man who charged a security checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner was targeting members of President Trump’s administration.

“We do believe, based upon just a very preliminary start to understanding what happened, that he was targeting members of the administration,” Blanche said in an interview with “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”

The acting attorney general said investigators are still looking into the suspect’s motivation and speaking with people who knew him. He said the alleged gunman is not cooperating with authorities.

Law enforcement apprehended 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, and said he was armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives when he stormed the security checkpoint outside the dinner, where Mr. Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Cabinet officials and scores of journalists were gathered to honor the First Amendment. Police believe he acted alone.

The president, first lady Melania Trump and Vance were whisked off the dais by Secret Service in response to the shots that rang out outside the ballroom. They were not injured. Other Cabinet officials in attendance, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., were hustled out of the room by security. 

One Secret Service agent was injured in the attack, but was protected by a bulletproof vest, Mr. Trump told reporters late Saturday. Blanche said investigators believe the agent was shot by the suspect. 

Police said Saturday night that the alleged shooter was a guest at the Washington Hilton, the hotel where the dinner is held. The suspect is believed to have traveled to Washington, D.C., by train, going from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then Chicago to the nation’s capital, Blanche said.

He is expected to face two charges: using a firearm during a violent crime and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said Saturday. 

But Blanche said the alleged gunman could face other federal charges as the investigation continues.

“There’s a lot of federal charges that could be in play beyond those two charges, but it depends on us understanding his motive, his intent, his premeditation of what led into him deciding he was going to do what he did last night,” he said.

Chaos erupted as the shots were fired, sending dinner guests scrambling to take cover under tables. While the attack raised questions about the security of the event, the president and administration officials have praised the Secret Service for their swift response to the attack.

Mr. Trump told reporters that the presidency is a “dangerous profession,” and said the attack would not deter him from doing his job.

“There’s a lot of federal charges that could be in play beyond those two charges, but it depends on us understanding his motive, his intent, his premeditation of what led into him deciding he was going to do what he did last night,” he said.