The U.S. Department of Justice has introduced a new charge of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon in the case involving the individual accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House correspondents’ dinner held at the Washington Hilton last month. Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect, is now facing a total of four charges, including the recent accusation of firing at a U.S. Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint. This new charge is part of a fresh indictment issued by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C.
Alongside the assault charge, Allen, a 31-year-old resident of California, also faces previous allegations of attempted assassination, firearm discharge during a violent crime, and illegal transportation of a firearm and ammunition across state lines. Prosecutors claim that armed with a shotgun and a pistol, Allen made a dash past security in an effort to assassinate President Trump and other U.S. officials on April 25.
There was some uncertainty initially regarding whether Allen shot the Secret Service agent as he allegedly headed towards the ballroom where President Trump and senior administration members were dining alongside approximately 2,500 guests. Although Trump administration officials initially stated that Allen had fired at the agent, and the agent’s ballistic vest saved him from serious harm, the initial charges against Allen did not explicitly mention the shooting incident.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who is spearheading the investigation in Washington, released surveillance footage on Thursday showing Allen firing his shotgun at the agent, who then returned fire. Pirro revealed that a pellet recovered from Allen’s shotgun at the scene was entangled with fibers from the agent’s vest. Allen was apprehended by law enforcement after falling down and was prevented from reaching the ballroom, with no injuries reported to anyone else.