A California man has been charged with attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump after trying to storm a gala event with weapons on Saturday night.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was also charged with two firearms offences when he appeared in court in Washington DC on Monday. He did not enter a plea.
He was carrying a semi-automatic handgun, a pump-action shotgun and three knives as he charged past a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, say prosecutors. The incident has sparked a White House security review.
A Secret Service agent was shot but not seriously wounded during the attack at a hotel. The accused faces life in prison if found guilty.Dressed in a blue jumpsuit with a nametag, the suspect appeared calm at Monday’s court appearance in the nation’s capital.
He was softly spoken as he answered almost every question from the judge with either yes, your honour or no, your honour.He stated his age and said he had a master’s degree.
In Monday’s news conference, the acting attorney general maintained that law enforcement did not fail in its job to protect the event.He noted that the gunman was 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 assassinate the then President,Ronald Reagan 45 years ago, said it had followed security instructions from the Secret Service.
