(WASHINGTON) — Cole Allen, the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night, made a brief first court appearance on Monday to face charges, including attempted assassination of the president.
Allen, 31, walked in wearing a blue jumpsuit and took his seat at the defense table. The Torrance, California, native faces three felony counts of attempted assassination of the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition over state lines with the intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. This is the third assassination attempt President Donald Trump has faced.
The first count of attempting to assassinate the president carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, if convicted.
Allen did not enter a plea.
As Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh asked Allen the routine series of questions for defendants charged in federal court, he nodded and readily answered with, “Yes, your honor.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine said the government was seeking Allen’s continued detention pending trial.
Ballantine said Allen attempted to assassinate Trump using a 12-gauge pump action shotgun and said he was also carrying a .38 caliber semi-automatic pistol, three knives “and other dangerous paraphernalia.”
Public defender Tezira Abe indicated the defense may seek to contest detention, noting he has no prior arrest record and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Sharbaugh scheduled a detention hearing for Thursday and ordered Allen to be temporarily detained until then. Allen’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11.
Allen appears to have shared social media posts that were critical of Trump and his administration — including calling for Trump’s removal — on the social media platform Bluesky.
In addition to sharing posts denouncing Trump’s policies — including the war with Iran, increased ICE enforcement actions, and the U.S. diminished support for Ukraine — Allen also appeared to share posts criticizing a reporter in connection with the correspondents’ dinner. His account shared posts that described an effort to highlight press freedoms related to the event as “pathetic” and akin to a “white flag … [to] wave in defeat.”
A Bluesky spokesperson said, “Violence has no place in our public discourse, and we are committed to providing people with the platform and tools to engage in healthy conversation.”
“Our Trust & Safety team is actively reviewing and taking action against content that violates Bluesky’s Community Guidelines, including posts that amplify misinformation, or glorify violence or harm,” Bluesky said.
Allen — a trained mechanical engineer working as a tutor — traveled across the country to perpetrate “as much damage as he could,” sources and officials said.
Local authorities said the suspect was tackled by law enforcement after gunfire inside the Washington Hilton, where thousands of journalists as well as Trump and members of his Cabinet were gathered for the annual event.
Allen was detained near the main magnetometer area for the event, with surveillance video showing the suspect running past security officials. Interim D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Jeffrey Carroll told reporters that the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. Carroll said the preliminary information is that he was a “lone actor.”
Law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation said that Allen was declining to answer questions but allegedly made some non-specific reference to targeting administration officials.
A Secret Service member was shot during the incident but the bullet hit the agent’s protective vest, Trump said after the incident. The president said he spoke with the agent and he was in good spirits.
Shortly before the White House press briefing, Trump posted a video showing agents subduing the suspect, who he said “charged a security checkpoint armed with many weapons.”
Law enforcement officials said that Allen is believed to have booked a room in the Washington Hilton, where the dinner took place, in early April.
Investigators believe the suspect arrived in Washington by train, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Sunday during an interview on ABC News’ “This Week” with anchor George Stephanopoulos.
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro told reporters Saturday night that Allen was being charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
“It is clear, based upon what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” Pirro said.
ABC News’ Lauren Minore, Luke Barr, Nicholas Kerr, Ivan Pereira, Aaron Katersky, Josh Margolin, John Santucci, Michelle Stoddart, Lucien Bruggeman, Oren Oppenheim, Katherine Faulders and Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.
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