Not first attack on our republic, US President Donald Trump says after shooting scare

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) heaped praise on security officers for their swift response during the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, while also recalling past assassination attempts on him in Pennsylvania and Florida.

Trump, while delivering remarks in the Press Briefing Room, after the shooting incident, announced that the shooter of the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington is a resident of California and is 'sick'.

"The law enforcement and DC police just spoke with the mayor... You see the attacker in different positions, but you also see the attacker totally subdued and under control... This is not the first time in the past couple of years that our republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin who sought to kill in Butler, Pennsylvania, less than two years ago... and in Palm Beach, Florida, a few months after that, we came close. We really had, again, some great work done by law enforcement...," he said.

Meanwhile, a man had tried to assassinate Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. In another incident on February 22, an armed individual was shot and killed by the law enforcement officers, including Secret Service personnel, after he entered the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, Trump's residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

Referring to the latest incident, Trump called the shooting unexpected and said an armed man had been swiftly neutralised by security forces.

"That was very unexpected, but incredibly acted upon by the Secret Service and law enforcement... A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service. They acted very quickly and have just released, for purposes of transparency and clarity, I've ordered it to be put out... a tape showing the violence of this thug who attacked our Constitution, and also showing how quickly the Secret Service and law enforcement acted on our country's behalf," he said.

Furthermore, US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) shared a video of CCTV footage showing the entry of the shooter at the venue of the White House Correspondents' Dinner, along with images of the detained suspect.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump also referred to the security breach incident and described the sequence of events, stating that an armed individual attempted to force entry into the premises and was subsequently neutralised by security personnel.

Trump, while addressing the press in the briefing room after the incident, said he had also spoken to the security officer who was shot during the attack.

"A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service... One officer was shot, but saved... the vest did the job. I just spoke to the officer, and he's doing great," he said.

The US President further used the security breach at the Hilton to highlight the need for enhanced security infrastructure and to make the case for the ballroom he is constructing at the White House, suggesting that the structure would provide a more secure location for future events.

"It's not a particularly secure building, and I didn't want to say this, but this is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we're planning at the White House," Trump said during his news conference. "It's actually a larger room, and it's much more secure. It's got drone-proof. It's bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom. That's why Secret Service, that's why the military is demanding it."

Manwhile, 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. (ANI)

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