The Secret Service member who was shot during the White House Correspondents’ dinner had his life saved when his phone stopped the bullet, according to a report.
The officer, whose name has not been released, was released from hospital earlier today following the horrific ordeal at the Washington Hilton.
Footage shows the moment a gunman rushed a Secret Service magnetometer screening area in the hotel lobby. He fired at least one shot, striking a Secret Service agent’s bulletproof vest.
Incredibly, according to a law-enforcement summary report, seen by the Atlantic, the bullet was halted, in part, by the officers’ phone.
Anthony Gugliemi, the U.S. Secret Service chief of communications, said the protective gear likely “helped us avoid a potential tragedy.”
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, has been named as the suspect after shots were heard outside a ballroom holding 2,500 people – including Donald Trump, Melania Trump and JD Vance – for the annual dinner.
The US President described the suspect as a “lone wolf whack job” after the incident around 8:35pm local time (01:35am UK time) on Saturday night, at the Washington Hilton hotel.
Allen was armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, a .38-caliber handgun, and multiple knives.
Officials recovered an “anti-Christian” manifesto sent to family members shortly before the attack, in which Allen referred to himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that preliminary findings suggest Allen was targeting administration officials, likely including the President.
Allen graduated from the prestigious California Institute of Technology university in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering. His LinkedIn profile revealed the man had been a member of the university’s Christian fellowship but also the NERF club.
NERF guns are toy weapons that fire soft darts, arrows and balls, which are often used by kids to play but sometimes popular with adults. Allen was part of the Caltech NERF group while a student, in the early 2010s.
Allen is set to be arraigned in federal court on Monday on charges including assault on a federal officer, discharging a firearm, and potentially attempted assassination.
