Armed suspect who stormed White House Correspondents' Dinner charged with attempted assassination of the president
The White House correspondents' dinner shooting suspect has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president.
Donald Trump, the previous target of an assassination attempt, his first lady Melania and Vice President JD Vance were rushed out of the Washington Hilton ballroom on Saturday (25 April) night.
One officer was taken to hospital following shots to their bulletproof vest, while the president was left unhurt along with the 2,500 attendees.
The suspect, carrying multiple guns and knives, has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California.
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Allen, 31, who was staying at the hotel as a guest, has been charged with:
- Attempt to assassinate the President of the United States
- Using a firearm during a crime of violence
- Transportation of firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony
He could face life in prison if convicted on all counts.
What do we know about the suspect?
Officials said Allen has no criminal record and was not on their radar.
Sky News, who have seen Allen's LinkedIn page, reports that he describes himself as a 'mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth'.
His profile states that he has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and a master's degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills.
Was there a motive?
Prosecutors are yet to reveal a motive, but in a message reviewed by The Associated Press that authorities say was sent by Allen to family members minutes before the attack, Allen referred to himself as a 'Friendly Federal Assassin'.
He also made repeated references to the president, without naming him, and alluded to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions.
Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence of the suspect’s possible motives.
What has Donald Trump said?
In a press conference after the shooting, Trump said: “My impression is he was a lone wolf whack job. These are crazy people.
“I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was, in one way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing.
“To see a man charge a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of secret service, and they acted very quickly.
“It is always shocking when something like this happens.”
Washington mayor Muriel Bowser said she had 'no reason' to believe anyone but Allen was involved.
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Crime, Politics
Anish Vij