White House dinner shooting latest: Trump safe as suspect in custody

Neighbours have reacted to the arrest of suspected gunman Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California.

Allen, a 2017 graduate of California Institute of Technology, was working as a teacher at the time of his arrest while also developing computer games.

In 2025, he attained a master’s degree in computer science from ‌California ⁠State University at Dominguez Hills in 2025.

On his LinkedIn page, Allen described himself as a “mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, ​independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth.”

A neighbor of Allen’s told The LA Times. “We see them every day and we just say hi and they’re very nice. They’re peaceful people, they don’t make any noise and when they see you they say hi.”

Another neighbor said the residents had only moved into the home six months previously.

While another neighbor told The New York Times that the community is home to “lots of retired LAPD… We were told it was super-super safe.”

The attacker was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives when he stormed a security checkpoint at the prestigious dinner, according to police.

The suspect has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a California resident about 31 years old. Little is ⁠known about his background, but social media postings suggest he works as a teacher in Torrance, near ​Los Angeles.

Washington interim ⁠Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives when he mounted the attack at around 8.35pm. It is too soon to say what his motivation was, Carroll said.

Based on preliminary information, he was believed to have been a guest at the hotel.

The Washington Hilton was also the scene of an attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan, who was shot and wounded by a would-be assassin outside the hotel in 1981.

The Republican, who served as the 40th US President, was targeted by John Hinckley Jr as he returned to his limousine from a speaking event at the hotel on 30 March 1981. Hinckley was obsessed with Taxi Driver star Jodie Foster.

Reagan was seriously wounded by a revolver bullet which punctured his lung and caused internal bleeding, along with two law enforcement officers and a White House Press Secretary who were also hurt.

The BBC’s Gary O’Donoghue, who was at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, said it was “terrifying” when they heard shots ring out.

He said the “low kind thud that those long guns make is pretty unmistakable”.

“And when I noticed my colleague to my left was diving under the table, I thought, I’d better do the same,” he told the BBC’s Sunday with Lauran Kuennsberg.

“And we ended up on the floor, under the table, on our knees, wondering whether someone was going to start wandering around the ballroom, taking aim at 2500 of us crouched under tables. So it was pretty frightening, and it should never have, it should never have got anywhere near that.”

Discussing security at the event, which took place in the same hotel where President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, he said “noone checked his ID” when he walked into the ballroom.

“All the roads were closed. There were choppers overhead. But, you know, I walked a couple of blocks to the hotel,” he continued.

“I waved my invite at someone who looked at it from about six feet away. No one checked my ID. I was checked a little bit on the way into the ballroom, but even when the beeper went off, they didn’t ask me to empty my pockets or anything.”

He said the secret service did their job in protecting the event, but noted the security measures were right outside the ballroom and the hotel was full of regular guests.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has praised the secret service and law enforcement agencies for the swift response to the shooting.

He joined those expressing their relief that President Trump and the First Lady were safe following the shocking incident.

Footage from inside the dinner has revealed scenes of chaos and confusion as panicked guests took shelter under tables.

Secret service agents can be seen swarming the ballroom at the Washington Hilton after the gunman tried to storm the event, but was captured by law enforcement at a checkpoint in the hotel lobby.

One user X commented: “Now they’re talking about continuing this show? Are they crazy?

“HOLY CRAP! President Trump is STORMING BACK to the stage at the WHCA Dinner after the shooter was downed,” added conservative journalist Eric Daugherty. It’s unclear if Trump is returning to the event.

“He’s NEVER RELENTING! Our President the BEST! He makes it through everything.”

Eventually, it was announced the event would be scheduled to a later date.

UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington must be “condemned in the strongest possible terms”.

In a post on X, he tagged President Trump and said it is a “huge relief” that the president and First Lady are safe.

There is ‘no reason to believe’ anyone else was involved the shooting, Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser said.

She told reporters the gunman was apprehended after he rushed a secret service checkpoint in the hotel lobby. One law enforcement official was shot, but saved by his bullet proof vest.

“We are so very thankful to members of law enforcement who did their jobs tonight and made sure that all guests were safe,” she added. “We have no reason to believe at this time that anyone else was involved.”