WASHINGTON, DC – Cole Tomas Allen, the man arrested in connection with a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night, was formally accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump, interstate transportation of weapons and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime in federal court April 27, NBC and others report.
Allen was remanded into custody. He did not enter a plea. His preliminary hearing was set for May 11.
Authorities say Allen, of Torrance, California, was taken into custody at the dinner Saturday night in Washington that was attended by Trump and top members of his administration. A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match that of the suspect show he worked part-time for the last six years at a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students.
Allen reportedly ran through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton Saturday night and fired a weapon, according to CNN. He was arrested at the scene.
In a message sent to family members minutes before the attack, the 31-year-old the described himself as “Friendly Federal Assassin” and railed against recent actions taken by the U.S. government under Trump, though he did not name the Republican president directly, according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said on Saturday night that Allen would be charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. She also said, "It is clear that this individual was intent on doing as much harm as he could."
CNBC notes that as of Monday morning, there were no other public records of charges against Allen.
In an update on Sunday, Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police said that they believe Allen acted alone. According to police, two firearms and multiple knives were recovered when he was arrested, and a Secret Service officer was injured and taken for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
CNBC reports that the Secret Service officer was shot.
CBS News reports that a total of eight shots were fired during the incident.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Saturday night that "I expect you will see charges filed shortly. The charges should be self-evident, given the conduct, but as you’ll hear, there will be multiple charges surrounding the shooting around the possession of firearms and anything else that we can get on this guy."
Authorities Search Writings for Motive
According to CNN and others, Allen sent a message to family members shortly before the alleged attack.
Citing authorities, CNN reports that Allen referred to himself in the message as the "Friendly Federal Assassin" and expressed an intention to target political leaders.
The message was more than 1,000 words long and included apologies to his family, co-workers and others he feared would be affected by the planned act of violence, the Associated Press reports.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Washington DC, DC Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.