In the United States, the attacker who opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen. He has been charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump. The President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Cabinet members, and senior journalists were present at the event. The accused faces multiple charges, including attempted assassination of the President, transporting weapons across state lines, discharging a firearm during a violent crime, and assaulting federal officers. If convicted, he could face a sentence ranging from a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment. Authorities said the accused is a resident of Torrance. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he booked a hotel room on 6 April. He left the Los Angeles area on 21 April, travelled first to Chicago by train, and then reached Washington. Investigators said he arrived at a security checkpoint carrying a shotgun, a pistol, and several knives, and attempted to pass through a metal detector. It was at this point that gunshots were heard. A Secret Service officer was injured in the incident, but his life was saved as he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Officials are investigating whether the bullet was fired from the accused’s weapon. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the accused had also drafted an email identifying senior administration officials as targets. Around 90 minutes after the attack, Donald Trump addressed the media, saying the American Constitution had been attacked and crediting the Secret Service for saving his life. He praised security personnel for their bravery and confirmed that the injured officer was safe due to wearing protective gear, adding that the attacker was armed with a powerful weapon. Who is the person who fired during dinner According to a BBC report, the attacker has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen, a resident of California, United States. Public records indicate that Allen worked as a part-time teacher and video game developer. He was reportedly named ‘Teacher of the Month’ in December 2024. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017, and obtained a Master’s degree in Computer Science last year from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Eyewitnesses says, ‘heard a loud explosion sound’ CNN’s White House Chief Correspondent Kaitlan Collins said, we were inside the Hilton ballroom. Within just minutes of hearing the sound of gunshots, agents surrounded the room and came running in from the main corridor. Because cabinet officials were seated at different places throughout the room, many of them remained lying on the floor and stayed crouched under tables until the President was being escorted off the stage. White House Correspondents’ Dinner is an annual event The Correspondents’ Dinner is a special annual event of media and politics. It is organized by the White House Correspondents’ Association, an organization of journalists covering the White House. In this, the President makes jokes about himself, his opponents, and the media. Trump did not attend it last year. He came as a guest in 2011. At that time, President Barack Obama made fun of him, after which Trump decided to run for President.
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