White House attacker 'mentally ill': Trump

A sudden gun attack occurred during the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association in Washington, D.C., United States. It spread panic throughout the venue. However, no guests, including former US President Donald Trump, were injured in the attack.

About 2,600 guests attended the lavish event held at the Hilton Hotel on Saturday night (April 25) local time. President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and top administration officials were also there. When the gunshots were suddenly heard, guests took shelter under tables for safety and everyone was quickly evacuated to safety. According to security officials, 7 to 8 rounds of gunfire were heard at that time.

The suspected attacker, 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen, was arrested immediately after the incident. President Trump called him a "very mentally ill person." In an interview with the US media CBS, he said that Allen was once a devout Christian but later turned anti-Christian.

Police said that Allen was a teacher by profession and worked at an educational institution in California, where he was also recognized as the best teacher in 2024. The investigation also revealed that he came to Washington via Chicago by train and stayed at a hotel the day before the incident.

During the search, a written statement was recovered from his room, in which he introduced himself as a "friendly federal assassin" and mentioned plans to attack top officials of the Trump administration. He claimed that he took this step on behalf of those affected by the administration's policies.

US authorities said that he has been charged with illegal possession of weapons and attempted murder of federal government officials. He will be produced in court next Monday.