According to acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche, a suspected gunman who attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was “likely” to target US President Donald Trump and his officials.
The suspect, identified by US media as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was apprehended after police said he opened fire near a security checkpoint during the event at a Washington DC hotel on Saturday.
Blanche told NBC News that the alleged gunman’s motive is still being investigated, but “preliminary” investigations indicate he was targeting administration officials. The FBI’s criminal division and terrorism task force are looking into the event.
Trump, who was carried off the stage to safety, told reporters at a press conference on Saturday that “I can’t imagine that there’s any profession that’s more dangerous”. In a statement issued on Sunday, the White House said Trump “stands fearless” after surviving “an assassination attempt when shots were fired” with cabinet officials. The president of the White House Correspondents’ Association described the attack as “harrowing”.
Also on Sunday, White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang, who was seated next to Trump at the dinner, complimented the Secret Service for measures that “protected thousands of guests”
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