The suspect in the security breach at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday has been charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, appeared at a federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., for his initial court appearance, less than 48 hours after he was accused of rushing a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel. The Justice Department filed three charges against him on Monday: attempted assassination of the president, punishable by up to life in prison; transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with the intent to commit a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison; and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence; punishable by a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison (consecutive to any other sentence imposed) and a maximum of life.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the security measures — which have since been questioned — at the Washington Hilton in a news conference on Monday afternoon.

“We also should recognize what did not happen…law enforcement did not fail,” Blanche stated, flanked by  U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro and FBI Director Kash Patel.

Blanche said he wanted to make “clear” that the suspect was a floor above the president and the dinner’s guests, “with hundreds of federal agents between him and the president of the United States.”

We also should recognize what did not happen…law enforcement did not fail.”

acting attorney general todd blanche

Allen was found with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol, three knives and “other dangerous paraphernalia,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine said in court on Monday. A Secret Service officer was shot in the melee, but was saved by a bulletproof vest and has already been discharged from the hospital, law enforcement officials said Saturday.

Blanche declined to answer questions about how many shots Allen fired, citing the ongoing investigation.

“We do believe that as the complaint lays out, that the suspect, the defendant, fired out of his shotgun,” Blanche said. “But as far as getting into exacting ballistics, I’m not going to do that today.”

Blanche added that law enforcement fired five shots.

“This heroic officer who was hit fired five times at Allen, who was not shot but fell to the ground and was promptly arrested,” Blanche said.

It is unclear who shot the Secret Service officer.

“All the evidence is being examined very carefully and expeditiously and we’ll know more soon,” Blanche said.

Patel said that evidence acquired in California and Connecticut has been sent to laboratories in Quantico for analysis. Shell casings on scene, as well as firearms and weapons, were also collected.

Allen appeared in a blue inmate-style shirt and pants next to his lawyers. He spoke clearly during the 15-minute hearing, answering “no” when Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh asked if he was on drugs or alcohol. Allen said he has a master’s degree when asked about his highest level of education.

Allen was appointed two federal public defenders after he asked the judge to do so. They did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s requests for comment.

Pirro was seated in the front row of the court hearing on Monday with other Justice Department lawyers. It is unusual for a U.S. attorney to personally show up for an initial appearance.

Two of the charges Allen faces — attempted assassination of the president and transportation of a firearm and ammunition — were not among the ones Pirro outlined on Saturday. She had said he faced charges of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, though the latter charge does not appear to have been filed. In a press conference following the court hearing on Monday, Pirro said she expects additional charges to be filed against Allen as the investigation continues.

Allen has remained in federal custody since Saturday. His appearance in court Monday came after Trump posted on his Truth Social page photos of the suspect face down on the carpet of the hotel after he had been subdued by authorities, along with grainy security footage appearing to show the suspect rushing at Secret Service agents, who drew their guns in response.

At an impromptu White House briefing Saturday night, Trump said Allen “looked pretty evil when he was down,” and called him “a sick person.”

Allen’s lawyers argued that he should not be detained, given that he does not have a criminal record, and asked for the presumption of his innocence until proven guilty. The government’s lawyers, meanwhile, argued that Allen should be detained in light of both the charges he faces and his travel from California.

The judge ruled that Allen will remain detained ahead of his next court appearance, a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday morning. A preliminary hearing — at which the government will explain why it is probable cause to bring the criminal complaint and arrest — is set for May 11. He could be indicted before then, in which case the preliminary hearing would be called off.

A spokesperson for the California Institute of Technology confirmed to MS NOW that the school has a record of a student by the same name who graduated in 2017, but said further information was unavailable. A photo of the suspect on LinkedIn shows him praised as “Teacher of the Month” at a college test prep and tutoring service in December 2024.

In writings published by the New York Post that he reportedly sent to family members prior to the attack, Allen said the administration officials were “targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” and that Secret Service were targets “only if necessary.” He did not mention Trump by name, but appeared to reference his anticipated speech.

Blanche said Sunday that the suspect “was targeting administration officials,” and that the president was likely among those targets.

In his reported writings, Allen also criticized the lax security at the venue, which current and former law enforcement officials also told MS NOW was a major problem.

Trump and several of his administration officials have argued that the incident proves the need for his controversial White House ballroom plans to move forward amid legal scrutiny.

Blanche said investigators believe that Allen was a Washington Hilton hotel guest and that he acted alone. The acting attorney general said Allen is believed to have traveled by train on April 21 from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then from Chicago to Washington, arriving on April 24 at approximately 1pm. Two of the firearms he had on him were purchased legally in the past couple of years, Blanche said.

Nora McKee and Lisa Rubin contributed reporting.

The post Suspect in correspondents’ dinner shooting charged with attempting to assassinate Trump appeared first on MS NOW.

From MS Now.