A federal grand jury indicted Cole Tomas Allen on Tuesday in connection with the April 25 attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
Allen faces four counts, including attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump and a newly added charge of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon. The indictment also includes a pair of weapons offenses.
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Expanded arsenal and new charges
Newly released court documents show Allen transported weapons from California to Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to the attack. Prosecutors allege his arsenal included a Mossberg 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol, and approximately 100 rounds of ammunition. Authorities say he was also armed with knives when he rushed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton.
During the disruption, a uniformed Secret Service officer, identified in the indictment only by the initials V.G., was struck in their bulletproof vest by a shotgun blast.
Defense challenges intent as court dates loom
Allen’s attorneys are pushing back on the prosecution’s claims, asserting that the facts do not conclusively show he meant to assassinate the president or that he was the one who pulled the trigger.
Meanwhile, a federal magistrate judge recently criticized the conditions of Allen’s pre-trial detention. Defense lawyers noted Allen was initially placed on suicide watch in a padded cell with constant lighting, a status he was removed from over the weekend.
Allen has not yet entered a plea and agreed to remain detained. He is scheduled to be arraigned on May 11.
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