On Monday, April 27, a gunman stormed a White House press dinner, where the president was holding a meeting, and was arrested. He was identified as Cole Thomas Allen, a 31-year-old tutor from Southern California. The Guardian wrote in an article that footage was released of Cole Allen running past security. A Secret Service agent was shot and remained anonymous. In the video, four shots were visibly identified by the video analysis. There is a mystery as to who fired the shots. There is a ballistic investigation underway to collect evidence to see who shot the Secret Service agent.

Charges of the Suspect

A more recent article by NBC News talks about what the suspect is charged with and each sentence for each crime. The first charge is attempted assassination of the president, which includes a guaranteed life sentence. Transportation of a firearm through interstate commerce with intent, which includes an additional 10 years. The last additional charge brought to court was discharge of a firearm during a crime, which can add up to 10 additional years. His next appearance will be on May 11th. In the aftermath, “Trump and top members of his Cabinet and Congress were evacuated from the room. The officer who was shot was taken to the hospital for treatment and later released,” stated NBC News.

Clarifications from the Government

ABC7 News also posted similar footage of the event. After the footage was released, DC Attorney Jeanine Pirro posted that “There is no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly fire.” They also informed that a Secret Service member was shot, but was protected by a vest. Afterwards, the officer returned fire after being hit. The suspect was not hit. The president was escorted, and the suspect did not reach the ballroom where the president met with his cabinet at the Washington Hilton hotel. Before the incident, Allen sent a pre-scheduled email to the company, incorporating his resignation. The company Allen worked for, C2 Education, announced that they were cooperating fully with law enforcement, but left out some specifics of his work history. In the court records, “prosecutors cited his writings in which he allegedly laid out his plan to target top members of the Trump administration, according to the memo,” added ABC7.