A man suspected of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at the White House correspondents’ dinner has been charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, federal authorities announced on Tuesday.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, allegedly sprinted past a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel on 25 April, where the annual press gala was taking place. Prosecutors claim he intended to kill the president and other senior officials.
The new charge, part of a revised four-count indictment, accuses Allen of firing a shotgun at a US Secret Service agent during the incident. The agent, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was not seriously injured. Allen already faced charges of attempted assassination, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegal transportation of a firearm across state lines.
“Today’s indictment underscores a simple truth: there is evidence this defendant intended to assassinate the president, and that he shot a US Secret Service officer,” said Jeanine Pirro, US attorney for the District of Columbia. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche added that the defendant was stopped thanks to law enforcement’s courageous response.
Video released by prosecutors allegedly shows Allen shooting the agent. A pellet from Allen’s shotgun was found intertwined with fibres from the agent’s vest, according to Pirro.
