The alleged shooter at the White House correspondents' gala, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, mocked an 'insane' lack of security at the event in a manifesto reportedly sent to his family ten minutes before the attack. 'I walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat,' the suspect wrote, according to the New York Post. The manifesto expressed hostility to President Donald Trump and his administration.
The attack at the Washington Hilton has raised questions about security protocols. The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration provided a lower level of security for the dinner than for other high-profile events, despite the president and several cabinet members attending. The event was not designated a 'national special security event,' which would have given the Secret Service oversight of all security.
Republican lawmakers have called for an investigation. Congressman Mike Lawler, who attended the dinner, told Politico: 'There needs to be wholesale change. This nutjob could have walked into any of the other events before the dinner and caused mass casualties.' The House oversight and homeland security committees, along with the Senate judiciary committee, have requested briefings from the Secret Service.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran defended the security measures, stating: 'It shows that our multi-layered protection works.' He noted that the shooter was detained before causing further harm, with only one law enforcement officer injured by a bullet, saved by a bulletproof vest. President Trump told Fox News that the shooter 'never even came close to getting by the doors.'
The Washington Hilton was closed to the public from 2pm on Saturday, six hours before the dinner began. Guests passed through multiple checks, including airport-style metal detectors. The Secret Service maintained a buffer around Trump, with armoured plates under his table and heavily armed agents nearby. However, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged that authorities are still investigating how the suspect was able to bring firearms into the hotel.
