Cole Allen, the man arrested last month in connection with the shooting during the White House Correspondents' Dinner, during which a plot was made to assassinate US President Donald Trump, appeared in a Washington federal court and pleaded not guilty to all charges on Monday.
Charge Against Allen
Charges against Allen include attempted assassination of the president, assaulting law enforcement officers, transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and firing a weapon during a violent crime, as reported by the New York Post.
If convicted, Allen could face life imprisonment. Allen’s legal team argued in court that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Washington DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro should recuse themselves from the case.
Investigators state that Allen attempted to enter a security checkpoint, whilst firing a shotgun at a Secret Service officer at a White House Correspondents' Dinner in the Washington Hilton on April 25, a well-attended event which Trump and senior figures in the administration appeared at, along with over 2500 members of the media.
Furthermore, officials reported that the perpetrator also possessed a shotgun and a handgun, in addition to several knives. A gunfight allegedly occurred between the assailant and Secret Service officers; the officer's protective vest was hit in the incident.
The officer was reported not to be injured as a result of being shot by Allen due to the bulletproof vest he was wearing; the perpetrator was then subdued and arrested on the scene.
Federal prosecutors have presented the claim that the accused spent weeks planning the killing, as evidenced by his reserving a room before his arrival, and his transporting of firearms across state lines. Allen will face life in prison if found to be guilty.
Reports claim that Allen, who used to teach and has resided in Torrance, California, has been on suicide watch since the shooting.
Who is Cole Thomas Allen?
In several unverified social media pages, profiles and LinkedIn pages, Allen is listed as a mechanical engineer, computer scientist, indie game developer and a part-time teacher. The Los Angeles resident has reportedly attained both a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2017 and a Master's degree in Computer Science from the California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Allen was also reportedly part of Caltech’s “Blitzkrieg Bots” robotics team, which won a robotic vehicle design competition in 2016.
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He additionally participated in a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), leading some reports to describe him as a “NASA fellow.”
White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting Incident
A massive chaos broke out on April 25 after suspected gunshots were fired in the lobby of the Washington Hilton, leading to the evacuation of US President Donald Trump and other senior officials from the White House Correspondents' Dinner. President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance were immediately evacuated from the ballroom by tactical teams and moved to a secure location.
The security incident occurred at approximately 8:45 PM EDT as dinner service was underway. Witnesses reported hearing "loud, rhythmic sounds" echoing from the lobby area, which were quickly identified as gunfire. The evacuation took place shortly after 8:30 PM, local time, after loud sounds were reported from the lobby area.
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