Grand jury indicts WHCD shooting suspect

WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment against the man accused in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, adding a new charge. 

What we know:

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, has been indicted on four federal charges in connection with the shooting at the Washington Hilton, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. 

The charges include: 

• Attempting to assassinate the President of the United States
• Assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon
• Transporting a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony
• Discharging a firearm during a crime of violence

Authorities say Allen attempted to run past security barricades near the ballroom, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents.

President Donald Trump was not injured and was quickly rushed from the area by his security detail.

What they’re saying:

“Today’s indictment underscores a simple truth: there is evidence this defendant intended to assassinate the president, and that he shot a U.S. Secret Service officer after he traversed the country with a cache of ammunition to accomplish his goals,” Pirro said in a statement. 

“The use of violence to register dissent is anti-democratic at its core,” she added. “We will pursue the maximum punishment available under the law against anyone who travels to the District of Columbia to engage in such acts.”

“Under the leadership of President Trump, violent political actors will never win— we will prosecute anyone who engages in these horrific acts to the fullest extent of the law,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche added in a statement of his own. 

The backstory:

According to prosecutors, Allen had been monitoring the president’s movements the night of the event, repeatedly checking online updates, including live coverage of Trump’s arrival.

An FBI affidavit outlines additional planning, stating Allen reserved a room at the Washington Hilton on April 6—weeks before the dinner.

Investigators say he then traveled cross-country by train from California and checked into the hotel one day before the event, staying through the weekend.