Video Shows Armed Man Targeting White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Video Shows Armed Man Targeting White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Federal prosecutors release footage of a man attempting to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and kill the President, detailing gunfire exchanges with a Secret Service officer.
Federal prosecutors on Thursday released video they say captures the moment an armed man attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and attempt to kill President Donald Trump. The footage, shared by Washington’s top federal prosecutor, shows Cole Allen Tomas moving through security toward the event at the Washington Hilton, firing at a U.S. Secret Service officer as the officer tried to stop him. Officials say the agent was shot but wore a bullet-resistant vest and survived, and there is no evidence the agent was struck by friendly fire.
Tomas later agreed to remain in custody as he awaits trial, having made no plea during a brief court appearance. Authorities say he ran through a magnetometer with a long gun and disrupted one of the highest-profile annual events in the nation’s capital. He was injured during Saturday night’s attack but was not shot. Prosecutors allege the Secret Service officer fired five shots, and they say Tomas fired his shotgun at least once. In court filings, prosecutors noted Tomas had taken a selfie in his hotel room minutes before the incident, and was equipped with an ammunition bag, a shoulder gun holster and a sheathed knife. They also point to a message in which he referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and hinted at grievances with various Trump administration actions.
Tomas’s lawyers agreed to keep him behind bars for now after initially arguing for his release. The investigation continues as authorities seek to piece together motive and determine how the day unfolded, with security at one of the nation’s most scrutinized events under intense scrutiny in the days ahead.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has long been a focal point for political reporting and the media, and the events surrounding this incident have raised questions about crowd control, threat assessment, and how best to protect high-profile attendees while preserving press freedom.
