Suspect in Washington dinner shooting set to appear in court

WASHINGTON – The man accused of shooting a US Secret Service agent as he tried to breach security at a Washington dinner where US President Donald Trump was present is expected in court on April 27 to face criminal charges.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is scheduled to make his first appearance in Washington federal court, two days after the authorities said they foiled an attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, an annual black-tie gathering of journalists and politicians.

Charges have not yet been formally filed, but US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, said Allen would be charged with assault on a federal officer and using a firearm during a crime of violence.

Acting Attorney-General Todd Blanche said other charges, including attempted assassination, were possible, but that the investigation remains ongoing.

Allen left a manifesto with family members referring to himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and discussing plans to target senior Trump administration officials, who were present in the hotel ballroom. 

Mr Blanche said his targets likely included Mr Trump himself.

Allen booked a room at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the dinner took place, and travelled from California to Washington by train, officials said.

The shooting on April 25 rattled the press dinner, a prominent event on Washington’s social calendar, sending attendees scrambling under tables and prompting law enforcement to whisk senior officials out of the room.

Mr Trump, who was set to deliver remarks later in the evening, was rushed off the stage by security personnel after shots were fired.

The proceeding on April 27 is expected to be brief.

A judge will advise Allen of his legal rights and prosecutors are expected to seek his detention while the case moves forward.

Allen has not yet responded to the allegations. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer.

The suspect allegedly fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a checkpoint inside the hotel before being tackled and arrested, according to the authorities.

Video footage Mr Trump posted online showed the suspect sprinting through a hallway outside the ballroom.

US officials have said the suspect was subdued just inside a security perimeter and have touted his takedown as a law enforcement success.

But the incident has revived concerns about the safety of Mr Trump, who survived two assassination attempts during his 2024 presidential campaign, and other US officials.

The Secret Service agent was struck, but a tactical vest stopped the shot, and the agent was released from a hospital hours later.

Allen, whom the authorities said was armed with a handgun and multiple knives, in addition to the shotgun, was also taken to a local hospital to be evaluated following the shooting. REUTERS