Man charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at White House correspondents' dinner

THE MAN ACCUSED of opening fire at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday has been charged with trying to assassinate US president Donald Trump. 

Cole Thomas Allen (31) was also charged with two weapons offences during the incident at the Hilton hotel in Washington DC.

He faces a sentence of up to life in prison if convicted of trying to kill Trump.

Allen, of Torrance, California, is being represented by lawyers with the federal defender’s office and sat beside them in court in a blue jail uniform.

Advertisement

He was charged with attempting to assassinate the president of the United States, transport of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce and with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

He did not enter a plea at the hearing, and was held pending his next court appearance.

Prosecutors told the court that Allen was carrying a pump-action shotgun, a semi-automatic pistol and three knives when he tried to break through security at the Hilton hotel.

Several shots were fired before he was subdued in a chaotic encounter near a checkpoint. Cole never got close to Trump or the other guests attending the large-scale dinner event on a lower floor.

The judge assigned two assistant public defenders to represent Allen.

One of them, Tezira Abe, noted that Allen does not have a criminal record and “is presumed innocent at this time”.

Related Reads

How close did the suspected gunman get to the US President in the latest Trump shooting?

'It cannot be built fast enough': Trump pushes for White House ballroom after gala shooting

Washington shooting suspect called himself ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’

Acting attorney general Todd Blanche has said Allen is believed to have travelled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where he checked himself in as a guest at the hotel where the gala dinner was held.

Video posted by Trump shows a man, who authorities say was armed with guns and knives, running past a security barricade as Secret Service agents run towards him.

Records show Allen is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.

A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match that of the suspect show he worked part-time for the last six years at a company that offers admissions counselling and test preparation services to aspiring college students.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More Support The Journal