A 31-year-old California man was charged Monday with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump after authorities say he stormed a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner armed with a shotgun, a semi-automatic pistol, and three knives.
Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, appeared in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Monday but did not enter a plea. A judge approved holding him in detention pending a Thursday hearing.
Allen faces three federal charges: attempted assassination of the president, transporting a firearm across state lines to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. The assassination charge carries a potential life sentence; each firearm count carries up to ten years.
The incident unfolded Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, where Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and cabinet members were gathered. Allen allegedly breached a security barrier one floor above the ballroom. A Secret Service agent in a ballistic vest was shot in the chest, returned fire five times, and was released from the hospital. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen is believed to have fired his shotgun at least once before being arrested.
Investigators say Allen left Torrance on April 21, took a train to Chicago, arrived in Washington on April 24, and checked into the Hilton the night before the event. A message allegedly sent to family before the attack called him a "Friendly Federal Assassin" and listed officials as targets ranked by seniority. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is handling the case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and said further charges are possible. Defense attorney Tezira Abe said Allen has no prior criminal record.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, co-sponsored legislation Monday to authorize up to $400 million for a proposed White House ballroom. Graham argued the shooting exposed the risk of hosting the president and succession officials at a public hotel and called it a near catastrophe, noting the president, vice president, and House speaker were all present when the gunman struck.
