Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has called for a fully transparent investigation into the shooting that erupted at the White House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday. Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” with host Dana Bash, Raskin—who was present at the event—said he hopes the probe will be conducted “with complete openness and transparency and integrity.”
Despite his criticisms of the current administration’s leadership, Raskin indicated he would give acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel the “benefit of the doubt” as they oversee the inquiry into the incident. The investigation is already underway, with officials confirming they have interviewed associates of the suspect and are sifting through collected evidence. However, Blanche noted that the alleged gunman is not “cooperating” with investigators.
The suspect has been identified by multiple outlets as 31-year-old Cole Allen, a California native from Torrance. The Hill has not independently verified this identification. According to Blanche, the FBI, along with law enforcement in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., has executed search warrants on electronic devices believed to belong to Allen.
“We’re still looking to try to understand a motive,” Blanche said. “From our preliminary investigation, it does appear the suspect was targeting members of the administration. I don’t want to go beyond that because 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.”
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced Saturday that Allen will be arraigned in federal court on Monday on two charges: using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll reported that the gunman shot a Secret Service officer, with the bullet striking the officer’s vest. The officer was taken to a local hospital and was reported to be in “good spirits.”
Blanche did not rule out the possibility of additional charges, including attempted assassination of President Trump, who was swiftly evacuated from the ballroom at the Washington Hilton by Secret Service agents after shots were fired. “The way that these charges work, a lot of the charges that he could be charged with depends on us understanding his motive, his premeditation, what he wanted to do,” Blanche explained. “And that requires us to go through the evidence and develop a case, which the FBI is working on now.”
The incident has drawn intense scrutiny, with President Trump blaming the attack on anti-Christian hatred as the suspect faces charges. Meanwhile, Kerry Kennedy credited Raskin for helping protect her during the chaos, as detailed in her account of the gunfire. As the investigation unfolds, the political fallout continues, with Trump praising the media and WHCA chief for their handling of the disruption.
Authorities are working to piece together Allen’s movements and motives, with reports indicating he traveled cross-country by train before the attack. The FBI is leading the investigation, aiming to determine whether the shooting was a targeted assassination attempt or part of a broader plot.
