A suspect is in custody following a shooting outside the White House correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel Saturday, which led to President Donald Trump and attendees’ evacuation.
The man suspected of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night worked as a teacher and video game developer from Southern California, according to public records, as reported by CNN.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, who lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance, has been identified by law enforcement as the armed man subdued near the dinner where President Trump and other officials had gathered, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer reports that the shooting occurred on the floor above where the dinner was being held. Blitzer said he was very close to the gunman and that a police officer threw him to the ground in an effort to protect him.
“A guy with a very, very serious weapon starts shooting. I happened to be a few feet away from him,” Blitzer said, adding that the shooter was shooting randomly.
“I’m guessing I heard at least half a dozen gunshots. … They were so loud,” he said.
Authorities said the shooter fired shots inside the hotel before being apprehended by the Secret Service.
“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The president gave additional details about the shooter at a press conference at the White House.
CNN and Â鶹¹ÙÍø’s Diane Morris contributed to this report. Stay with Â鶹¹ÙÍø for the latest updates.
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