WHCA dinner shooting updates: Suspect described himself as 'friendly federal assassin,' sources say

Authorities believe that the suspect in the shooting at the White House correspondent's dinner, Cole Allen, attempted to breach the ballroom after leaving his hotel room with a duffel bag with multiple weapons inside and used a stairwell out of public view to apparently avoid being seen, according to multiple law enforcement officials.

The suspect apparently went down 10 flights of stairs at the Washington Hilton, according to law enforcement sources.

He emerged from the stairwell and began his full sprint, according to law enforcement sources, where he was tackled by uniformed Secret Service personnel after a brief burst of gunfire.

The details of his movements were first reported by CBS News.

-ABC News' Luke Barr and Jack Date

A group of high school students who were tutored by Cole Allen, the alleged suspect in the White House correspondents' dinner shooting incident, shared a statement late Sunday describing Allen as "generally very intelligent" and "normal and friendly."

The statement was released by Dylan Wakayama, the president of a local nonprofit organization called Asian American Civic Trust.

"According to these students, Mr. Allen was knowledgeable across a broad range of subjects and generally very intelligent," the statement read. "They regarded him as entirely normal and friendly in their interactions. Additionally, they expressed profound shock upon learning he may be connected to the events of April 25th."

Wakayama said he did not personally know Allen.

-ABC News' Emily Kohlberg

President Trump spoke to senior CBS correspondent Norah O'Donnell about the shooting incident at the Washington Hilton, saying he "wasn't worried" about injuries when gunshots rang out.

"I wasn't worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world," Trump told "60 Minutes" in an interview on Sunday.

He also said he wasn't sure if he was the alleged attacker's target, but "it sounds it to me."

"I read a manifesto. He says he's radicalized," Trump went on. "He was a Christian, a believer, and then he became an anti-Christian. And he had a lot of change. He's been going through a lot based on what he wrote. His brother complained about him, and I think we reported him to the police... his family was very concerned. He was, probably a pretty sick guy."

The president then recounted his memory of the incident, saying he knew something was wrong by the first lady's facial expression.

After being ushered off the stage, Trump said he was brought to a room, where he urged Secret Service agents to let the dinner continue.

"And then I got up and we went to a hold room for a while, and I tried to get them to continue the event, if possible," Trump said.

"You wanted to go back in?" O'Donnell asked.

"I did, I really did," Trump remarked.

-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr and Meghan Mistry

Former President Barack Obama responded to Saturday night's shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner, writing on X that it's essential to "reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy."

He added that the incident was a reminder of the "courage and sacrifice" that the Secret Service makes every day.

"Although we don't yet have the details about the motives behind last night's shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it's incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy," he said in the post. "It's also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day. I'm grateful to them - and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay."

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie