What we know about suspected White House Correspondents’ Dinner gunman

The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was thrown into chaos after a lone gunman opened fire at the high-profile event Saturday night.

While the motive remains a question, the suspected shooter has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, according to The New York Times.

President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and other members of the administration were rushed from the Washington Hilton’s ballroom as guests scrambled for cover during the shocking incident at the Washington Hilton. Allen had rushed security guards and fired a shot, hitting one Secret Service Agent. The suspect was then subdued by officers and taken into custody.No guests at the dinner were hurt and the event was later canceled.

Here’s what we know so far about the man police said fired shots at the dinner:

Who is the suspected gunman?

The New York Times, citing multiple law enforcement sources, identified the suspect Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said that the assailant had been apprehended and posted a photo of a man lying down on the ground at the hotel.

“They seem to think he’s a lone wolf, and I feel that too,” Trump said at a press briefing after the event.

The president also posted surveillance footage of the suspect running past the hotel’s security checkpoint. Trump said he did so for “transparency” and to highlight the speed with which agents reacted to the threat.

At a press briefing later at the White House, Trump called the suspect “a sick person” and said investigators were on their way to his apartment.

How did he get a gun into the facility?

How the suspect got the gun near the facility remains unclear.

DC Metro Police Chief Jeffery W. Carroll said they believe Allen was staying at the Washington Hill hotel, where the event was being held.

“We have secured a room here in the hotel, and again, we’ll go through the appropriate procedures to determine what was inside there,” Carroll told the media.

Officers had secured the room and investigators believe the suspect acted alone in the incident. Video showed Allen running toward a security checkpoint when he fired at least one shot. A Secret Service agent was hit and Carroll continued his sprint. He was apprehended off camera, but police say he was not shot. He was stopped before he got to the ballroom where Trump and other cabinet members were in attendance.

What is he being charged with?

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C, said the suspect was being charged with two counts: using a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.

Pirro said that the defendant would be arraigned in federal court on Monday.