Cole Allen Charged With Terrorism, But How Did He Get So Close to Trump With Weapons at White House Dinner?

Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, faces a new terrorism charge following a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington.

Federal prosecutors announced the additional count on Friday, 13 November, more than six months after the incident at the Washington Hilton.

The charge follows an April shooting at a Secret Service screening checkpoint while Trump was attending the dinner. Prosecutors allege Allen carried a shotgun through a magnetometer and fired at an officer before being arrested. The crucial unanswered question is how close he actually came to the president.

How Cole Allen Reached the Dinner Security Checkpoint

According to the Justice Department's April account, Allen travelled by train from California, changing services in Chicago before arriving in Washington on 24 April. He had booked a room at the Washington Hilton on 6 April and checked in the day before the event.

On 25 April, shortly after 8.30pm, prosecutors say Allen approached a Secret Service checkpoint on the hotel's Terrace Level. He allegedly sprinted through a magnetometer carrying a Mossberg Maverick 88 12-gauge pump-action shotgun.

The department says he ran towards stairs leading to the ballroom where Trump was present. As he did so, he allegedly fired the shotgun, striking a Secret Service officer once in the chest.

The officer, who was wearing a ballistic vest, fired five shots in response, according to prosecutors. Allen fell, was restrained and arrested. Authorities said he sustained a minor knee injury but was not struck by gunfire.

Prosecutors said investigators recovered the shotgun and a .38-calibre pistol, alongside ammunition, two knives, four daggers, holsters and other equipment. They have not established that Allen entered the ballroom or specified how far he was from Trump.

Those details narrow the security question considerably. The alleged breach took place at a screening checkpoint, rather than inside the room where the president was attending the dinner.

Cole Allen's New Terrorism Charge and the Evidence Cited

A five-count superseding indictment announced on 13 November adds one count of committing an act of terrorism while armed under District of Columbia law. Prosecutors linked that allegation to the attempted first-degree murder of Trump.

Allen previously faced four charges, including attempted presidential assassination, assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, transporting a firearm across state lines with the intent to commit a felony and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The Justice Department says he faces a maximum possible penalty of life imprisonment if convicted.

In May, US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said prosecutors had evidence Allen intended to assassinate Trump. FBI Director Kash Patel also alleged that Allen travelled to Washington to target the president and administration officials. Those assertions remain allegations to be tested in court.

The Justice Department's April statement described an email allegedly sent by Allen to family members and a former employer shortly before the shooting. Investigators obtained a copy from a recipient, prosecutors said. The message included an apology for the trouble he expected to cause.

The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case. The November announcement did not identify any changes to security arrangements after the shooting, and Allen is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.