Cole Tomas Allen, 31, allegedly stormed the White House correspondents’ association dinner and is being held as case proceeds
The man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump by rushing the black-tie press gala in Washington DC at the weekend where the US president was a guest, agreed on Thursday to remain in custody while his federal criminal case moves forward.
The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was not planning immediately to contest prosecutors’ arguments that he was a danger to the community and should remain in jail, his attorney, Tezira Abe, said during a federal court hearing in the capital.
Allen allegedly stormed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel where the annual White House correspondents’ association dinner was being held and fired a shotgun outside the doors leading into the ballroom where the US president, first lady Melania Trump and several cabinet members were already seated and the event was getting underway.
Prosecutors argued that Allen carefully planned to attack Trump and other officials in his administration as they dined and were preparing speeches at the gala night with some 2,600 journalists, politicians and others.
