Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, will appear in court Monday, accused of attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner, law enforcement officials said.
Allen was charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer, according to U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. He will be arraigned in Federal District Court. Further charges are expected. Trump was not injured in the attack.
It is not yet known what the motive was for the attack, in which Allen allegedly entered the Washington Hilton hotel, charged through security carrying a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, before shooting and hitting a member of the U.S. Secret Service detail assigned to protect Trump. The Secret Service member was wearing a bullet-proof vest, according to The New York Times, and survived the attack. (The Hilton is the same hotel where President Reagan was shot, in 1981.)
Allen got off five to eight shots before he was brought down by security personnel, the BBC reported.
Allen was immediately arrested, taken into custody, and evaluated in hospital on Saturday night, according to multiple reports. He was believed to have checked in as a guest at the hotel prior to the attack.
Details are beginning to emerge about Allen’s background, from his social media account, and his neighbours.
Allen was a tutor and amateur video game developer, according to the Associated Press.
He obtained a bachelor’s degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. As an undergrad, he created a model for a new emergency brake for wheelchairs, the AP said. He then a master’s degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills.
Allen created a game called “Bohrdom,” according to the New York Times, in 2018. In an online post, Allen described it as “a skill-based, non-violent asymmetrical fighting game loosely derived from a chemistry model that is itself loosely based on reality.”
At CalTech, Allen was reportedly a member of the school’s student club for nerf gun fighters. The New York Times also said he was a member of the school’s Christian fellowship.
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