The targets of the shooter at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in the United States could have been not only administration officials, but also President Donald Trump himself. This was stated by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, writes Reuters.
The incident occurred at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington. Trump later showed surveillance video from the scene and a photo of the shooter. He called him a “sick man.”
In addition to the president, the event was attended by first lady Melania Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy Jr. and other senior representatives of the US administration. Blanche admitted that the suspect deliberately chose representatives of the White House and its head as victims.
Federal charges of assault on a federal officer and shooting with intent to murder will be filed on April 27, according to the interim attorney general. Blanche noted that the suspect refused to cooperate with investigators.
According to law enforcement, the shooter was identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen from Torrance, California. The suspect opened fire with a shotgun as he approached the ballroom of a Washington hotel, where there were about 2,500 guests.
A Secret Service agent at a checkpoint was injured. D.C. Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll said the attacker was armed with a shotgun, a pistol and several knives.
CBS News, citing a report from the US Secret Service, wrote that the shooter's motives and his specific goal are still unknown.
