Why Was White House Correspondents’ Dinner Suspect Shirtless When He Was Pinned Down and Arrested? QT

The alleged gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, was stripped of his shirt when he was detained by Secret Service agents at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Secret Service agents detain suspect of White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting.Credit : 

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As news first circulated online in the aftermath of the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, April 25, many questions immediately centered on the alleged attacker’s motives and how he was able to breach security at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., during the event.

When photos of the suspect’s arrest were first published, some readers also wondered why he appeared shirtless while lying on the ground of the ballroom in handcuffs.

According to reports from CBS News, CNN, and The Guardian, responding security officials intentionally stripped the alleged gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, of his shirt as they wrestled him to the floor after he blew past a security checkpoint and allegedly fired shots.

CBS and CNN reported that officers removed Allen’s shirt, 31, to ensure he was not concealing explosives or other weapons beneath his clothing — in addition to the 12-gauge pump-action shotgun he was carrying when he ran past the security barricades and fired, striking at least one officer in his bulletproof vest.

Photos taken by Allen minutes before the incident on Saturday, April 25 — later shared by the Department of Justice and published by the Associated Press — showed he appeared to be carrying multiple additional weapons beneath his shirt, including a holstered knife, a shoulder holster holding a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol and an ammunition bag. Allen was also carrying a third holster that appeared to hold three knives, which The New York Times reported were recovered from him at the scene.

No one was killed in Saturday night’s alleged attack on the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which drew hundreds of journalists and top administration officials. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were both rushed away by Secret Service agents and were reported unharmed.

The Secret Service agent who was shot in his protected chest vest was recovering and in “great shape” as of Saturday, according to Trump, 79, who spoke with the media from the White House after the incident.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner.

“The suspect’s written manifesto clearly stated he wanted to target administration officials,” the White House said. The long text message — which was reportedly sent to members of Allen’s family, friends, and colleagues, according to a Times report — led Allen’s brother to contact police, PEOPLE previously reported.

Allen, of Torrance, Calif., was arraigned in a federal courtroom in Washington, D.C. where he was charged with attempting to assassinate the president of the United States as well as two federal gun charges, PEOPLE previously reported.

The college tutor and video game developer did not enter a plea at that initial hearing on Monday, April 27.