Washington DC [US], April 26 : US Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday said that the suspect involved in the shooting incident and the attempted security breach during the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel appeared to be targeting members of the Trump administration, while stressing that the motive is still under investigation.
During an interview on CNN's State of the Union, Blanche said preliminary findings suggest the suspect had specific intentions directed at government officials in the cabinet of US President Donald Trump.
"We're still looking to try to understand a motive. From our preliminary investigation, it does appear the suspect was targeting members of the administration," Blanche said.
"We don't have specifics yet about particular members of the administration, except that we do understand that that was his goal and his target," he added.
He further said that law enforcement agencies carried out multiple search warrants overnight, including searches of electronic devices, and have also been speaking to individuals who knew the suspect.
According to Blanche, the suspect reportedly travelled from Los Angeles to Chicago and later reached Washington, DC by train.
"We're still investigating what we knew, if anything, about this individual. It appears that he purchased the two firearms that he had on him within the past couple of years. He had knives on him as well," the Acting AG said.
Blanche also said the suspect is expected to face federal charges soon.
"I expect he'll be charged tomorrow morning in federal court with two counts in a complaint. We are not viewing him as cooperating necessarily right now," he said, adding that additional charges could follow as investigators continue to establish the motive.
This comes after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington DC, where US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and other high-ranking officials from his cabinet were present.
According to officials, the incident triggered a swift response by the US Secret Service, with one suspect later taken into custody.
Authorities confirmed that the President and all primary attendees were unharmed, though a security officer was injured during the response.
The event, traditionally a gathering of media and political figures, was abruptly disrupted as security forces secured the area.
The incident unfolded when a 31-year-old man allegedly stormed a security checkpoint at the entrance of the event, with suspected gunshots heard, prompting a swift response from law enforcement and Secret Service members ushering Trump out of the venue to safety.
According to CNN, the 31-year-old man, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, emerged as the prime suspect behind the chaos that forced Trump to be swiftly evacuated, along with Vance and other members of his cabinet.
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