The man suspected of shooting during Saturday’s gala dinner of the White House Correspondents’ Association in Washington has been accused of attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump. The AFP and AP agencies informed about it, writes TASR.
Thirty-one-year-old teacher Cole Tomas Allen from California, who armed with firearms and knives broke through security at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where a traditional dinner with journalists attended by government officials was held, made his first appearance in federal court in Washington on Monday.
The threat of a life sentence
He did not comment on the charge of attempted assassination of the president, for which he faces life imprisonment if found guilty. He was also accused of illegally transporting a firearm across state borders and of shooting during the commission of a violent crime.
At the request of prosecutors, the court ordered Allen into custody pending the proceedings. The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday. At this moment, according to the court, he is considered innocent.
Attacker’s Manifesto
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump said the shooter had written an anti-Christian manifesto calling for attacks on officials in his administration. Minutes before the shooting, Allen’s family alerted the police that he had sent them such a manifesto.
The security forces have not yet officially confirmed the attacker’s motive due to the ongoing investigation. His notes, as well as posts on social networks and conversations with family members, however, are considered by investigators to be some of the clearest evidence of his psychological state and possible motives, the AP reported.
Reactions of the White House
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Monday she believes a “left-wing hate cult” is responsible for the shooting in Washington. According to her, this is the result of “systematic demonization of the president and his followers by commentators, elected members of the Democratic Party and even some media”. Trump has previously called the media the enemy of the people, AFP recalled.
The shots rang out right outside the hotel’s ballroom, where Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, US Vice President JD Vance, some cabinet members and hundreds of other guests had gathered. The president and his wife, as well as members of the cabinet, were evacuated from the gala dinner. All participants of the event escaped without injuries. An agent of the US Secret Service, who has already been released from the hospital, suffered those injuries during the shooting.
