THE Cole Thomas Allenthe man who US authorities say tried to break into the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with a gun, has been charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump.
According to an AP report, the 31-year-old appeared on Monday before a federal court in Washington. According to authorities, shots were fired during the incident, Trump was hurried away from the stage, while guests were forced to hide under the tables.
Research on motivation
Authorities are investigating possible motives behind the attack. But according to a message reviewed by The Associated Press that authorities attribute to Allen, the 31-year-old allegedly sent family members a text minutes before the attack.
In it, he allegedly refers to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin,” makes repeated references to the Republican president without naming him, and drops hints about government actions by the Trump administration.
Investigators are looking at the specific message, social media posts and statements from relatives, looking for clues about the suspect’s mindset and possible motives behind the attack.
“We followed the protocols,” Hilton replied
Assurances that it followed the “strict” protocols of the Secret Service were given by the Washington Hilton hotel, 24 hours after the gunman opened fire at the correspondents’ dinner organized by the US government, in the presence of Donald Trump.
“The hotel was operating under its property’s strict protocols as set forth by the Secret Service, which was responsible for security,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“The Secret Service, which is responsible for the security of the President of the United States and other officials, was working with local authorities and hotel security, among others,” he clarified.
