Cole Tomas Allen has been charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump after allegedly storming the White House Correspondents’ Dinner armed with guns and knives, calling himself a “Friendly Federal Assassin” in a message to family before the attack.
A man who allegedly attempted to force his way into the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner armed with guns and knives has been charged with trying to assassinate Donald Trump.
Cole Tomas Allen was arrested following the shooting on Saturday night and is facing charges in federal court in Washington.
He appeared before the court on Monday over allegations relating to a chaotic incident that saw shots fired, Trump bundled off the stage and guests diving for cover under their tables.
According to authorities, an officer wearing a bullet-resistant vest was struck in the vest but is expected to make a full recovery.
Allen, from Torrance, California, is being represented by lawyers from the federal defender’s office and sat alongside them in court dressed in a blue jail uniform. He also faces charges of transporting a firearm and ammunition across state lines and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. He has not yet entered a plea, reports the Mirror.
Prosecutors have not disclosed a motive, but in a message authorities claim was sent by Allen to family members moments before the attack, Allen described himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin,” made repeated references to the Republican president without naming him and hinted at grievances concerning a variety of Trump administration policies.
Investigators are viewing the writings, together with a series of social media posts and interviews with relatives, as some of the strongest evidence of the suspect’s state of mind and potential motives. Allen, 31, is thought to have made his way by train from California to Chicago before continuing on to Washington, where he checked in as a guest at the hotel hosting the gala dinner, which typically operates under stringent security measures, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed.
Footage shared by Trump shows a man, whom authorities claim was carrying both guns and knives, sprinting past a security barrier as Secret Service agents rushed towards him and successfully tackled him to the ground.
Police had previously stated that the suspect was staying at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was taking place, and they believe he acted entirely alone.
Records indicate that Allen is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer. A social media profile belonging to a man sharing the same name, accompanied by a photograph appearing to match the suspect, reveals he had been working part-time for the past six years at a firm providing admissions counselling and test preparation services to prospective college students.

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