Blanche: Evidence Shows WHCA Suspect Targeted Officials
Early evidence suggests Allen targeted members of the administration, though officials have not yet determined a clear motive.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said federal investigators have already gathered “a fair amount of evidence” following the attempted shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner by Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from Torrance, California, as authorities work to determine his motive and whether he acted alone.
In an interview on Face the Nation Sunday morning, Blanche underscored how quickly the response unfolded, noting that the investigation was barely 12 hours old but that federal, local, and Secret Service personnel were already executing search warrants and reviewing devices recovered from Allen and locations linked to him.
“The FBI worked all night, working with local law enforcement, working with the Secret Service… we have collected a fair amount of evidence, which we’re now going through.”
Blanche said Allen is not cooperating and will be formally charged in federal court in Washington, D.C., as early as Monday morning. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said he faces two initial counts: using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. Blanche indicated additional charges are possible as investigators build out a clearer picture of intent and premeditation.
Early evidence suggests Allen targeted members of the administration, though officials have not yet determined a clear motive or identified any group affiliation.
“We do believe… that he was targeting members of the administration… we don’t have specifics beyond that.”
Authorities say Allen traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, D.C., and had been staying at the hotel where the dinner was held in the days leading up to the attack. Investigators are still working to determine how he was able to bring firearms into the hotel. He approached a secured checkpoint carrying a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives before being stopped just feet from breaching the perimeter. One Secret Service agent was injured and struck by gunfire during the confrontation, though Blanche said he was wearing a bulletproof vest and was in good spirits after speaking with President Trump.
“He was apprehended and subdued feet away from breaking the perimeter… that’s a testament to the Secret Service doing their job.”
When pressed on whether the attack exposed a loophole in train travel, noting that, unlike air travel, passengers are not required to declare firearms when crossing state lines by train, Blanche pushed back, arguing the focus should remain on enforcement rather than new restrictions.
“This isn’t about… changing the law or making the laws more restrictive… this is about law enforcement who are doing their jobs and a suspect who tried to do something and failed miserably.”
Despite the scale of the incident, which brought together the president, vice president, speaker of the House, and several cabinet secretaries in the same room, Blanche said the administration will not scale back public events or alter its posture. He described the night as both “a tragic evening” and “a success story” for law enforcement, and said Allen’s apparent goal of instilling fear had failed.
Investigators are continuing to review evidence from Allen’s hotel room, his California home, and recovered devices, with additional charges likely as authorities build a clearer picture of his planning and intent.
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Comments
Who on that security team is getting fired? Someone should have been out of a job last night.
Why? Guy didn’t even make it to line-of-sight on any targets.
The story says the perp didn’t break the security perimeter. Was it the outermost perimeter? If so then security was successful. If not then the question is why was he able to break the outer perimeters and are any changes required, As it is I don’t see a need to fire anyone although that might change as more info becomes available.
We all saw the video of him breaking the outer perimeter. Including the athletic guard who was so acrobatic in jumping out of his way, when he should have been jumping INTO it.
Low info take.
Security can’t prevent attempts by psychos like this.
It ended exactly as it should have – at the security perimeter out of actual danger to any of the officials targeted.
No shit. If one wanted to target journalists, there are many easier places where there is no SS presence.
They don’t know his motive? He was brainwashed by the DemoncRats and the media to believe President Trump and his Administration are evil incarnate and must be eliminated. This has been the DemoncRat approach since 1865.
“He was apprehended and subdued feet away from breaking the perimeter… that’s a testament to the Secret Service doing their job.”
He got past the first line of agents. Had he been rapped in a bomb belt they would all be dead.
“When pressed on whether the attack exposed a loophole in train travel”
Stupid liberal shitweasels.
California: Brady “A” rating.
Washington DC: Brady “A” rating.
Both completely ineffective.
“Let’s force Amtrak to get an ‘A’ rating!”
Yeah, that’s the ticket, you dipwits.
That, and elect Zohran president, all crime problems solved forever!
Better to opine on the “lack of motive” media schtick than the SS who prevented the assassin from getting inside the ballroom. The guy was there to get Trump and maybe some of his cabinet in the process, not vice versa.