Nov. 13 (UPI) — A federal grand jury has added a terrorism count to the list of charges faced by Cole Tomas Allen, the man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April.
In an indictment returned Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Allen now faces a new count of an act of terrorism while armed in an attempt to commit first-degree murder.
In the indictment, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said the terrorism charge was added because Allen attempted to kill President Donald Trump “with the intent to influence the policy and conduct of a unit of government … by intimidation and coercion and with the intent to intimidate and coerce a significant portion of the civilian population.”
Allen’s existing charges include attempting to assassinate the president, discharging a firearm with intent to commit a felony, transporting a firearm in interstate commerce and assaulting an officer with a deadly weapon.
Allen, of Torrance, Calif., allegedly fired shots outside the Washington Hilton ballroom during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, striking a Secret Service officer in the chest. The officer returned fire at Allen before law enforcement arrested him.
Trump was in attendance at the event and was rushed away from the location. He was uninjured in the shooting attempt. Trump told Fox News the next day that Allen had written an anti-administration “manifesto.”
“When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians. That’s one thing for sure. He hates Christians, a hatred. And I think his sister or his brother actually was complaining about it. You know, they were even complaining to law enforcement. So he was, he was a very troubled guy.”
About the Author
