A man who charged a security checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday had written that he intended to target Trump administration officials, investigators said. The suspected gunman, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, was carrying a shotgun, a handgun, and knives when he approached the checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was being held.
Investigators found writing by Allen at the hotel that they described as a manifesto. He is believed to have acted alone. A Secret Service officer was struck by a round but was wearing a bulletproof vest and was released from the hospital. President Trump, the first lady, the vice president, and Cabinet members were evacuated safely.
Trump told "60 Minutes" he "wasn't worried" during the incident. At a subsequent news conference, he praised officers for their response and told Americans, "We have to resolve our differences." He said the dinner would be rescheduled within the next 30 days.
Allen is expected to be arraigned Monday on at least two charges, though prosecutors said additional charges are possible.
The shooting prompted a last-minute security review of King Charles III's planned four-day state visit to Washington, which begins Monday. Buckingham Palace said the king "is greatly relieved to hear that the president, first lady and all guests have been unharmed" and confirmed the trip "will proceed as planned." The visit is intended to mark the United States' 250th anniversary and celebrate the U.S.-U.K. relationship, though tensions over issues including the Iran war had already raised the political stakes.
Inside the White House, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is set to convene a meeting early this week with senior administration officials, the Secret Service, and the Department of Homeland Security to review security procedures. A senior White House official said Trump believes the Secret Service "did an excellent job" neutralizing the shooter.
