A California man has been charged with attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump, prompting a White House security assessment.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was also charged with two firearms violations when he appeared in court in Washington, DC on Monday. He did not make a plea.
He was carrying a semi-automatic handgun, a pump-action shotgun, and three knives when he stormed past a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, according to authorities.
During the hotel incident, a Secret Service member was shot but did not sustain significant injuries. If convicted, the defendants will face life in jail.
The suspect, dressed in a blue jumpsuit with a nametag, appeared calm during his Monday court appearance in the nation’s capital.
He spoke softly, answering practically every inquiry from the judge with “yes, your honour” or “no, your honour.”
He indicated his age and that he holds a master’s degree.
Three US marshals stood behind him, one at his side, as the federal prosecutor in charge of the case, US Attorney for Washington Jeanine Pirro, looked on.
After gunfire erupted in the Washington Hilton hotel ballroom on Saturday night, Trump, Vice President JD Vance, cabinet members, and other White House officials were hustled out.
The suspect allegedly ran through a security checkpoint located one floor above the underground venue.
“One Secret Service officer was shot in the chest, but was wearing a ballistic vest that worked,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told a news conference on Monday.
“This heroic officer who was hit fired five times at Allen, who was not shot but fell to the ground and was promptly arrested.”
Blanche stated that the suspect is suspected to have fired his shotgun at least once.
It’s unclear whether the Secret Service agent was shot by the suspect or caught in the crossfire with other law enforcement. The agent has been freed from hospital.
Attempting to assassinate the president could result in a life sentence.
The other counts, transportation of a firearm between states to commit a felony and discharging a handgun in a crime of violence, both have a potential sentence of 10 years. The suspect is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday.
The accused allegedly crossed many state lines in an attempt to assassinate Trump.
According to officials, the suspect left his house in Torrance, Los Angeles, on April 21 and traveled to Chicago by rail.
On April 24, he left Chicago for Washington, where he checked into the Hilton on the eve of the gala.
The suspect attended the elite California Institute of Technology and worshipped at Pasadena United Reformed Church in Los Angeles.
According to federal campaign finance records, he paid $25 to a Democratic Party political action organization in favor of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in 2024.
According to an affidavit, the accused sent an email to his family just before the incident saying, “Administration officials… are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest”.
“I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary,” he allegedly added.
He was remanded in custody and prosecutors stated that more charges could be filed.
The suspect has not been co-operating with investigators, law enforcement sources told the BBC’s US partner CBS.
As US detectives investigate the third claimed assassination attempt on Trump, security officials are evaluating the president’s security standards.
Many people have questioned whether the security cordon at the Washington Hilton was robust enough, why participants were not required to show ID, and why the president, vice president, and those in the line of succession were all in one area.
During Monday’s news conference, the acting attorney general insisted that “law enforcement did not fail” in its duty to secure the event.
He stated that the gunman was only one floor away, “with hundreds of federal agents between him and the President of the United States”.
The Washington Hilton, where John Hinckley Jr attempted to shoot President Ronald Reagan 45 years ago, maintained it obeyed Secret Service security guidelines.
A senior White House official told the BBC that Trump is “standing by” the Secret Service’s leadership.
The White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, will hold a meeting this week to “discuss protocol and practices for major events,” according to an official.
Trump has assured King Charles III that he will “be very safe” during his four-day state visit to the United States, which began Monday at the White House.
