False claims spread quickly after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack

Social media and even some early reporting spread false claims about the suspect, motive and what unfolded as key facts remained unclear

Shots fired inside the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner attended by President Donald Trump caused immediate confusion about the suspect and what transpired at the April 25 event.

Trump and many government officials and journalists focused on questions about how a person was able to fire a gun in the same building — not the same room — as the president, raising questions about security nearly two years after Trump was the target of two separate assassination attempts.

Several news outlets identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, citing unnamed government sources. As of early afternoon April 26, authorities had not officially identified the shooter. A person was taken into police custody and is expected to be arraigned April 27 on charges of assault of a federal officer and discharging a firearm, with more charges possible.