Shots at the press gala with Donald Trump: lone wolf video game developer… What do we know about the suspect?

On Saturday evening, more than a hundred guests were gathered for dinner at the White House Correspondents’ Association in the presence of Donald Trump when a man entered and fired several shots. The suspect, a 31-year-old teacher and video game developer, was apprehended.

Around 9 p.m., as the dinner was in full swing, five shots were heard behind the reception door, just as Donald and Melania Trump had taken their seats on the stage on Saturday, April 25. The American president was evacuated and the suspect was apprehended. The man was identified by law enforcement as Cole Thomas Allen, a teacher and developer from Torrance, California. He will appear in court on Monday.

“This is not the first time in recent years that our republic has been attacked by a potential assassin seeking to kill,” said Donald Trump, still in his tuxedo, during a press conference at the White House about two hours after the incident.

A “lone wolf,” according to Trump Facing Donald Trump were journalists in bow ties and long dresses, who like him had attended the annual dinner bringing together the elite of politics and media in Washington.

The American president told the press that the assailant is a “lone wolf” and an “unbalanced lunatic.” Shortly after the shots, President Donald Trump released a photo of the shooter, shirtless, lying on his stomach, handcuffed behind his back and surrounded by federal agents.

Details about the attacker, Cole Thomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, came out quickly in the American media. He is a video game developer, engineer, and teacher. Authorities stated that he had no criminal record and was not known to police before the shooting.

The shooter will appear in court on Monday Police stated that the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a pistol, and several knives when he was apprehended.

The man will appear in court on Monday, according to American authorities at a press conference. He will be charged with two counts: one for firearm use during a violent crime and the other for assaulting a federal agent with a dangerous weapon, as stated by the prosecutor of the US capital, Jeanine Pirro.

Washington police reported that, according to preliminary information, the suspect had booked a room at the Hilton hotel in Washington where the gala dinner was taking place.