Investigators search for motive in shooting at Washington dinner

The acting attorney general said Sunday that investigators had collected details and other evidence about a suspect in a shooting that sent Secret Service agents rushing President Donald Trump from the stage at the White House correspondents' dinner. The attack raised questions about not only the gunman's motivation but also how he was able to get close to one of Washington's most heavily guarded events.

The suspect, identified by two law enforcement officials speaking on condition of anonymity as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was taken into custody after running through a security checkpoint and exchanging gunfire with the authorities inside the Washington Hilton on Saturday night. Officials said he did not reach the ballroom, where Trump, top administration officials and hundreds of journalists had gathered.

Investigators have been able to gather some information from the suspect's electronic devices and have interviewed some people who know him, the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. The gunman "set out to target folks that work in the administration, likely including the president," Blanche said, though he said the understanding of his motivation could change as evidence is reviewed.

Late Saturday night, federal authorities in the Los Angeles suburbs surrounded a two-story home where records show Allen lives. Residents gathered nearby on darkened sidewalks as police helicopters circled overhead and law enforcement vehicles with flashing red and blue lights blocked the street.

The suspect was armed with knives, a shotgun and a handgun, the interim Washington, D.C., police chief, Jeffery W. Carroll, told reporters Saturday night. Blanche said he had purchased the two weapons he was carrying "within the last couple of years."

There were no metal detectors set up at the hotel's entrances Saturday, and a secure perimeter was only established closer to the ballroom. Blanche defended the security at the event, noting that the suspect did not enter the ballroom where Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Cabinet officials were among the guests. "The system worked," said Blanche, who was also in the ballroom. "We were safe, President Trump was safe."

The attack revived questions about political violence in the United States and about security around Trump, one of the most targeted presidents in history. In 2024, he was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, and rushed to safety months later when a federal agent fired on an armed man at his Florida golf club.

Here's what else we're covering:

-- Charges: The suspect faces federal firearm and assault charges and is expected to be arraigned in federal court on Monday, with more charges possible, said Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. She did not name the suspect.

-- The suspect: Investigators have determined that the suspect took a train from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then from Chicago to Washington, Blanche said, and checked into the Washington Hilton a day or two before it hosted the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday.

-- Ballroom scene: There were no announcements or cries of "get down" in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton on Saturday. Security officials with weapons drawn emerged on the dais as the president and the first lady, Melania Trump, were quickly escorted out.

-- Royal visit: Buckingham Palace said in a statement that King Charles III, who is set to begin a state visit to the United States on Monday, had been "kept fully informed of developments." The palace said discussions were underway to consider how the attack might affect planning for the king's visit.

-- Video: Trump posted a brief surveillance video of a man running past the security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was being held. In the video, agents drew their guns and appeared to start firing.

-- Hotel's history: The Washington Hilton is the same hotel outside of which John Hinckley Jr. tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.