Cole Tomas Allen charged with attempt to assassinate Trump during shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner

Washington DC [US], April 28 : The 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, has been charged with attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump, Al Jazeera reported on Monday.

The charges were detailed in documents made public by the US Justice Department, according to CNN.

The incident took place during the annual event in Washington DC, where the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior officials were present.

The shooting occurred on Saturday evening at the Washington Hilton, where the suspect allegedly breached a security checkpoint and fired shots before being subdued by security personnel. Authorities confirmed that the President and other key attendees were evacuated safely. One security officer sustained injuries during the response.

Citing Justice Department charging documents, CNN reported that Allen approached and ran through the magnetometer at the venue while holding a long gun. "As he did so, U.S. Secret Service personnel assigned to the checkpoint heard a loud gunshot," the documents stated. "U.S. Secret Service Officer V.G. was shot once in the chest; Officer V.G. was wearing a ballistic vest at the time."

Prosecutors have said that Allen faces multiple charges, including attempting to assassinate the president, transportation of a firearm with the intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, CNN reported.

According to US Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the suspect managed to fire "a couple shots" before being stopped. Speaking to CNN, Blanche said the individual "barely got past the perimeter" and was "immediately subdued" by law enforcement and Secret Service personnel.

Earlier on Monday, President Trump described the suspect as a "radicalised" and "sick" individual. Speaking to CBS News, Trump said he had reviewed a manifesto attributed to the suspect, which indicated a shift in beliefs. "I read a manifesto... he's radicalised. He was a Christian believer, and then he became an anti-Christian... His family was very concerned. He was probably a pretty sick guy," Trump said.

Trump also recounted the sequence of events during the incident, stating that security personnel instructed him to take cover. "When they said, 'Drop down,' that meant trouble... I listened to what they said... 'Sir, please drop down,'" he said. He added that he initially tried to assess the situation before complying with instructions.

The President praised the response of the Secret Service and law enforcement agencies. "Those guys did a really good job," he said, noting that the suspect was subdued quickly and the situation was contained.

Blanche said preliminary findings suggest that the suspect may have been targeting members of the Trump administration. He also defended the security response, stating that the objective was to maintain a secure environment. "Make no mistake about it, the Secret Service did their jobs last night," he said.

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