Shooting at White House Event, Turns Out to Be California Native Teacher

JAKARTA - The perpetrator of the shooting who dared to break through the security forces at the White House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday, April 25 at 20.30 local time, has been identified. The man named Cole Allen is a teacher from California.

Cole Allen entered the area outside the White House ballroom fully armed with a rifle, pistol, and several knives. He ran to the checkpoint before firing at a Secret Service agent.

Allen was eventually subdued by Secret Service agents after breaking into the Washington Hilton hotel and storming toward a meeting room where US President Donald Trump and about 2,500 guests were gathered as a dinner was being served.

Citing The Week, Sunday, April 26, the police said Allen was listed as a guest at the hotel where the dinner took place. Police said the 31-year-old acted alone.

Acting Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, Jeffery Carroll, said security forces immediately moved quickly to secure the hotel area after the incident occurred.

"We have secured a room in this hotel, and once again, we will go through the appropriate procedures to determine what is in it," Jeffery Carroll told reporters.

Shortly after the incident, Trump immediately held a press conference at the White House accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump. In his statement, Trump admitted that he had heard a sound like an explosion, but at first he did not realize it was a gunshot.

"I heard a sound and thought it was the sound of a tray falling. We heard the sound, and it could be a tray or a bullet. I hope it's the sound of a tray falling," Trump said.

For information, Trump himself did not experience any injuries in this shooting incident. He and a number of US top officials were immediately evacuated by security personnel to a safe place.