White House Correspondents’ Dinner suspect carried multiple weapons and had no previous criminal history, President Trump says.
Webdesk – NBC – MediaBites News
Washington: Donald Trump said the suspect arrested after the security scare at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was carrying “multiple weapons” and had no prior criminal record.
Trump made the remarks after being evacuated safely from the high-profile event, where security personnel moved quickly after the suspect allegedly attempted to breach the area.
Officials identified the accused as Cole Thomas Allen from Torrance. Authorities said Allen was not previously known to law enforcement and had not appeared on any federal or local watchlists.
Investigators are now focused on determining the motive behind the incident, how it was planned, and how the suspect reached such a high-security venue carrying weapons.
Trump praised security teams for preventing what he described as a potentially far more serious attack.
During the confrontation, one officer was reportedly struck but was protected by body armor and is expected to recover.
According to publicly available records, Allen graduated from California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering. The institution confirmed records of a student by that name graduating that year.
Reports also said he completed a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2025.
Online profiles suggested he had worked as a mechanical engineer, independent video game developer and part-time tutor. A former acquaintance reportedly described him as highly intelligent and stable, adding further mystery to the case.
The FBI and United States Secret Service are continuing investigations into the attempted breach and whether any warning signs were missed.
