US authorities have confirmed that the suspect accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump was the one who shot a Secret Service agent at the White House correspondents' dinner last month.
Initially, officials did not provide details on how the agent, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was injured. On Sunday, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro told CNN that investigators have confirmed that the agent was shot by the alleged gunman, Cole Tomas Allen.
“It is definitively his bullet. He hit that Secret Service agent. He had every intention to kill him and anyone who got in his way, on his way to killing the president of the United States,” Pirro said, describing the act as premeditated and violent.
She added that a pellet from the suspect's shotgun was “intertwined with the fiber” of the agent's protective vest. The determination could lead to additional charges against the 31-year-old suspect and rules out speculation of friendly fire.
The Justice Department last week announced three charges against Allen: attempting to assassinate Trump, transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. A conviction for attempted assassination carries a life sentence.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen traveled by train from his home near Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, DC, arriving on April 24. During the dinner, Allen approached a security checkpoint on the hotel terrace, ran through a metal detector holding a long gun, and a loud gunshot was heard.
One Secret Service officer was shot in the chest but saved by his ballistic vest. The officer fired five times at Allen, who was not hit, fell to the ground, and was arrested. Officials said Allen was carrying a shotgun, a semiautomatic pistol, and three knives.
The shooting, considered the third assassination attempt against Trump since 2024, has shaken US politics. The White House has accused Democratic rivals of inspiring political violence, while critics accuse Trump of using the incident to censor opponents.
Source: www.aljazeera.com