Suspect in US Press Gala Shooting Charged with Attempting to Kill President Trump

Federal Authorities Charge Suspect in White House Attack

A 31-year-old man from Torrance, California, has been charged with attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, according to prosecutors. Cole Tomas Allen was formally charged on Monday with three counts of firearms-related offenses.

Allen appeared in Washington, DC federal court for his initial hearing, wearing a blue prison jumpsuit. He is accused of shooting a US Secret Service agent during an attempt to breach security at a press gala attended by President Donald Trump.

Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine stated that Allen attempted to assassinate the President of the United States. The suspect has not yet responded to the allegations.

Allen was detained by US Marshals and will answer all questions truthfully, according to his defense team. A master’s degree in computer science is listed on his resume.

US Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh ordered Allen’s detention while the case moves forward. Another hearing on Allen’s continued detention has been scheduled for Thursday.

The incident has sparked a significant response from US authorities and politicians. The White House has accused President Trump’s Democratic rivals of inspiring political violence with their verbal attacks on the administration.

Source: Al Jazeera