Trump's USA The shooting at the gala dinner

The shooting at the gala dinner
US special forces will search the shooter's home: "Everyone is very shocked"

Flashing blue lights fill the streets of the city of Torrance, California. The FBI, Secret Service and SWAT officers are outside Cole Tomas Allen's home awaiting a search warrant after the shooting at last night's gala dinner in Washington attended by Donald Trump, the New York Times reports.

Media and local residents have also gathered at the scene. Several locals call Allen, who has previously had no criminal record, a calm and intelligent man.

- Everyone in Torrance is very shocked, says Dylan Wakayama, who runs a local tutoring company where Allen has worked.

Teenager Max Harris stands at the barriers and has a hard time understanding what has happened. He received homework help from the 31-year-old for several months.

- He seemed like a completely normal guy. Well, I would never have expected something like this from a guy like him.

A former volleyball teammate from high school tells NBC that Allen, who later earned a master's degree in computer science, was "super stable" and almost appeared to be a "genius."

He's going to court tomorrow. 

Secret Service: A coward who wanted to cause a tragedy

Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn thanks the Secret Service agents for their actions in connection with the shooting at the gala dinner in Washington.

In a statement, he says that the gunman, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, "underestimated the security services."

"Tonight, a coward tried to cause a national tragedy."

Donald Trump and his ministers were evacuated from the scene in connection with the commotion. None of them were injured, but a Secret Service agent was hit by bullets in his body armor.

Cole Tomas Allen is said to have admitted during interrogation that representatives from the administration were targeted, sources tell CBS News. 

Sources: The shooter admits that his target was Trump ministers

The suspected shooter Cole Tomas Allen, 31, has admitted during questioning that his goal was to shoot representatives of the Trump administration when he stormed the venue heavily armed last night. This is reported by two sources for CBS News. However, he is not said to have explicitly said that the president was the target.

However, the police have not communicated a possible target or motive, writes the AP. However, it has been said that Cole Tomas Allen appears to have acted alone. He is expected to appear in court on Monday.

He will be charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and for assaulting a federal employee, says prosecutor Jeanine Pirro to the New York Times. A Secret Service agent was shot in the protective vest during the attack. The prosecutor adds that more charges are expected to be added.

In addition to Trump, Vice President JD Vance and high-ranking ministers such as Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth and Robert F Kennedy Jr. attended the gala dinner. 

Trump's USA • Reactions to the gala shooting
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, arrested with firearms and knives

Donald Trump has shared a picture of the alleged shooter, broken down and tied behind his back, after the night's drama at the gala dinner in Washington.

According to several American media outlets, it is 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California. He is said to have been carrying a shotgun, a pistol and several knives.

The police suspect that Cole Tomas Allen was a registered hotel guest at the Washington Hilton, where the gala was held. He is not said to have been shot by police, but has been taken to hospital for treatment. The motive is unknown.

He has left "minimal" traces on the internet, according to Wired's search in a database. According to his LinkedIn profile, he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 2017 and a master's degree in computer science in 2025. He is also said to have been employed periodically as a teacher at C2 Education, where he helped students prepare for the American college entrance exam. He is also said to have created and released a computer game.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Allen donated $25 to Act Blue in October 2024, a group that raises money for Democrats. The donation was earmarked for Kamala Harris' presidential campaign.

At his press conference tonight, Trump says that the man appears to have acted like a "lone wolf."

- He is a very sick person. He is in custody and they are asking him a lot of questions.