WASHINGTON – The man accused of trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with guns and knives has been charged with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump. Saturday’s incident, which involved shots being fired and Trump being rushed off the stage, has been linked to Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California. Allen appeared in federal court in Washington on Monday but did not enter a plea.
Federal authorities have suggested that the attack was planned for several weeks. Allen, armed with a shotgun and pistol, attempted to breach a security barricade near the ballroom where the event was being held, resulting in an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents.
Despite the chaos, Trump was unharmed, but a Secret Service officer was shot. Allen has been charged with the attempted assassination of President Trump and two additional firearms counts. An FBI affidavit in the case reveals that Allen reserved a room at the Washington hotel where the dinner was to take place under tight security.
Authorities have obtained an email sent by Allen to family members and a former employer, wherein he refers to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and expresses grievances over Trump administration actions. The email sheds light on his motive for the attack.
Allen, a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer, has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University. Voter registration records show his address as his parents’ house in Torrance, California, within the Los Angeles metro area.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with Allen remaining in custody pending further court hearings. Violence has no place in civic life, according to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who emphasized swift and certain accountability for such actions.
