Skip to main content

Fact check: Viral photos of White House dinner shooter's alleged Indian wife and her passport are fake

Multiple accounts on social media platform X have been sharing images since Sunday, allegedly showing White House dinner shooter Cole Tomas Allen with his Indian wife and her Indian passport. However, both images are AI-generated. A lone gunman fired shots in the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, causing United States President Donald Trump and his cabinet to be rushed out before the suspect was taken into custody. The suspect arrested in the shooting was identified by a law enforcement official as Cole Tomas Allen, a Los Angeles-area man who appears from social media sites to be a Caltech graduate working as a part-time teacher and game developer. The official said Allen, approximately 31 years of age, was a resident of Torrance, California. How it started On Sunday, a person, who appeared to be sharing anti-India content in the past, shared two images on X showing the shooter with his alleged Indian wife, Priyanka Rao, and her Indian passpo...

Suspect in shooting at Trump press dinner to appear in court

A California man accused of storming a gala dinner attended by US President Donald Trump was set to appear in court on Monday over a shooting that marks the latest spasm of political violence in a deeply divided America. Administration officials said the suspect in Saturday night’s attack appeared to have aimed to kill Trump and senior officials at the press dinner in a Washington hotel, in what would be the third attempt on the president’s life in two years. Trump, who was rushed out of the ballroom by Secret Service agents, posted surveillance footage showing the gunman attempting to sprint past a checkpoint one floor above the room where the dinner was held. After a brief exchange of gunfire with agents, the suspect was detained at the scene. Trump shared images of the suspect handcuffed on the hotel floor, lying shirtless and face down. In an interview aired Sunday on CBS programme 60 Minutes, Trump said he was not concerned about casualties as the chaotic scene unfolded. “I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world,” he said. Also Read: Trump pulled offstage amid gunfire “He’s not actively cooperating. I expect that he will be formally charged tomorrow morning in federal court in Washington,” acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche told CBS’s Face the Nation. “We do believe, based upon just a very preliminary start to understanding what happened, that he was targeting members of the administration.” Blanche added that no clear motive had been established, and confirmed the suspect — who officials said was armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives — was staying at the Washington Hilton, where the black-tie White House Correspondents’ Dinner was held. Guests hid under tables Trump, without providing details, said the gunman had written an “anti-Christian” manifesto. “The guy is a sick guy,” Trump told Fox News, adding that family members had raised concerns with law enforcement. The New York Post reported the suspect, identified as Cole Allen, 31, had sent a message to his family before the attack indicating his targets would be “prioritised from highest-ranking to lowest.” Moments after the shooting a floor above, Secret Service agents swarmed the ballroom, prompting chaotic scenes as attendees dived under tables. Among those present were Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, cabinet members, lawmakers and hundreds of guests. Trump later told a late-night press conference at the White House that he initially thought the noise was a dropped tray before realising it was gunfire. He said he hoped the annual gala, hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association, would be rescheduled within a month. “They seem to think he was a lone wolf, and I feel that too,” Trump said, adding that one officer shot at close range in a protective vest did not appear seriously injured. Trump also described the venue as “not a particularly secure” facility, as questions arose over security arrangements. Multiple attempts on Trump’s life Trump was previously targeted during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in 2024, when a gunman opened fire, killing an audience member and wounding the president. Months later, another man was arrested after a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel protruding from bushes near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach. The Washington Hilton is also the site where former US president Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. Trump said the latest incident underscored the need for enhanced security, including plans for a new ballroom near the White House. The White House Correspondents’ Association had invited Trump to the dinner despite his repeated criticism of the media. Unlike most presidents over the past century, Trump had not attended the event while in office until this year. The dinner traditionally brings together journalists and political figures to raise funds for scholarships and awards. The incident came less than 48 hours before King Charles III and Queen Camilla were due to begin a four-day state visit to Washington.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/3esTX2x

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...

US, Philippines kick off joint military drills in South China Sea with 16,000 troops

Some 16,000 US and Philippine troops kicked off the annual joint military drills on Monday in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), local media reported. WPS is the official designation by Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country's exclusive economic zone. The 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 US troops, making it the largest joint military drills between the two allies conducted in decades, local English daily Manila Times reported citing the military. A total of 14 nations, including Japan and India, will take part in the drills as observers amid mounting maritime tensions in the South China Sea. Contingents from the Australian Defence Force and the French Navy will also join the exercise as participants. Read also: China urges US to stop using Philippines as a pawn to destabilise South China Sea France will join the group sail but will only navigate on the edge of the Philippine E...