It was the first time that President Trump should have attended the annual press dinner.
The man who is suspected for the shooting at the annual Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington DC, intended to shoot officials in President Donald Trump’s administration.
He must have told the police after the arrest, writes the American media CBS News on the basis of two unnamed sources.
It has not been officially confirmed on Sunday morning Danish time that this should have been the motive.
The shooting happened Saturday evening local time. Donald Trump and several others were evacuated.
It was the first time that Trump, as a sitting president, should have attended the press dinner, which was held in a hotel.
The president said afterward that a member of the Secret Service was shot but was saved by a bulletproof vest. No one else was injured.
The dinner was canceled and postponed to a later date.
According to Trump, the perpetrator is from California. Several American media write that it is a 31-year-old man from Torrance in the American state.
The perpetrator was in possession of a pistol, a shotgun and several knives when he attacked the hotel in Washington DC, the head of the Metropolitan Police, Jeffery Carroll, stated early Sunday morning Danish time. He added that the perpetrator was not hit by gunfire.
Authorities believe he was a guest at the hotel. He will be arraigned in federal court on Monday.
The annual press dinner is organized by The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA). It is the association of journalists who cover the White House.
According to the organizers, the purpose of the correspondents’ dinner is to create a relaxed forum for social interaction between the press and the White House.
/ritzau/
