CALGARY — Cole Allen has been charged with the attempted assassination of US President Donald Trump.Allen made his initial appearance in court Monday to face charges over the shooting that occurred at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. The Associated Press reports that prosecutors have not yet revealed a motive, but authorities say that in a message sent by Allen to family members minutes before the attack, he referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and repeatedly made references to Trump.The Torrance, California resident is being represented by lawyers with the federal defender’s office and has also been charged by Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh with transporting a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce and with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.He has not entered a plea.“He attempted to assassinate the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump,” Assistant US Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine told the court.“We are asking the court to preventively detain Mr. Allen.”.READ: The manifesto of the would-be Trump assassin.Teriza Abe, one of the lawyers tasked with representing Allen, has stated that Allen does not have a criminal record and “is presumed innocent at this time.”The would-be assassin was taken into custody on Saturday night after he stormed the Washington Hilton armed with guns and knives, and fired off multiple shots, hitting one officer wearing a bullet-resistant vest — who is expected to recover — before being subdued by security.Allen, 31, had originally purchased the firearms he used legally, according to a senior law enforcement official and law enforcement documents.Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has said that law enforcement officials believe that Allen traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, D.C., where he checked into the Hilton a day or two before the incident took place.In a subsequent press conference on Monday, Blanche said that “violence has no place in civic life.”“It cannot and will not be used to disrupt democratic institutions or intimidate those who serve them, and it certainly cannot continue to be used against the President of the United States,” Blanche said.“We will apply the law fairly, and we will ensure that accountability is swift and certain. But we also should recognize what did not happen. Law enforcement did not fail. They did exactly what they are trained to do.”US Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro, said additional charges are possibly forthcoming as the investigation continues.She alleged Allen reserved his hotel room on April 6 for a three-night stay spanning April 24 to 26, and that investigators believe he rushed the ballroom around 8:40 p.m. after the president and First Lady Melania Trump entered the venue at 8 p.m..Pirro also said investigators recovered a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun, a .38-calibre semi-automatic firearm, at least three knives, and other items.“Make no mistake, this was an attempted assassination of the President of the United States, with the defendant making clear what his intent was, and that intent was to bring down as many of the high-ranking cabinet officials as he could,” Pirro told the media.“The Constitution and the laws of the United States permit us to register our views through our voices and our votes. What they don't permit is making your views known through violence, especially violence directed at the President of the United States. This is anti-democratic at its core.”FBI Director Kash Patel said the attempted assassination “hits a little differently” because many senior officials and media members were present.Patel praised the actions of the United States Secret Service and other law enforcement officers, saying they stopped the attack from “becoming even worse.”The director added the FBI has launched a nationwide investigation, dispatching agents to California and Connecticut, while evidence has been sent to FBI headquarters at Quantico for analysis.“America should be proud that this FBI acted with the urgency that was needed for the moment that we had to answer,” Patel said.He also urged the public to thank police and federal agents, saying officers “sprung into action” on a night that could have ended far worse.The investigation into the matter remains ongoing, and Allen’s preliminary hearing is set for May 11.
