1 White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting Suspect Planned To Target Multiple People
The accused gunman who tried to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives traveled across the country before the event and is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday. Blanche also said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where in recent days he checked in as a guest to the hotel where one of Washington's glitziest events was being held Saturday night. Investigators have not publicly named the suspect, but two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter have identified him to the AP as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California. Law enforcement officials who have examined the gunman's electronic devices and his writings preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner. He attempted to charge into the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground in a chaotic scene that resulted in shots being fired, President Trump being hurried off the stage, and guests ducking for cover beneath their tables.
2 Suspect's Family Warned Police, Trump Says
President Trump on Sunday characterized the man held in the attack at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner as harboring deep hostility toward Christians, citing what he described as a written statement recovered from the suspect's hotel room. "The guy is a sick guy," Trump said in an interview on Fox News of the suspect, who other officials have identified as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. His writings, Trump said, show "he hates Christians, that's one thing for sure," per NBC News. Trump also said the suspect's family had previously contacted law enforcement with concerns over his behavior. "So he was a very troubled guy," Trump said, per the Washington Post. "I wish they had told us about it a little bit." Law enforcement officials have not publicly confirmed the family's contacts with police or what warnings, if any, were shared with federal agencies.
3 Iran Conflict: President Trump Calls Off Peace Talks
Hopes for a diplomatic end to the U.S.-Iran war took a big step backward over the weekend after President Trump canceled a planned trip by his envoys to Pakistan and both sides showed little sign of giving ground. Trump pulled the plug on a visit by special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad, saying the Iranians had not offered a good enough deal and that the long travel time wasn't worth it. He added on Truth Social that there was "tremendous infighting and confusion" within Iran's leadership and said Tehran could simply pick up the phone if it wanted to talk. Iran's president told Pakistan's prime minister that his country would not negotiate under threat or while a U.S. naval blockade remains in place.