Cole Allen, the alleged shooter at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD), has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including the one related to the assassination attempt on US President Donald Trump.
During his court hearing on Monday, the 31-year-old suspect did not speak to the court as his lawyer Tezira Abe entered the plea on his behalf. During the previous hearing, another judge apologized to Allen over prison conditions.
Prosecutors accused Allen of firing a shotgun at a US Secret Service agent and storming a checkpoint with the intent to harm President Trump and his officials.
The charges against the suspect include:
- Assassination attempt on the president
- Assault on a federal officer
- Firearms Offenses
In addition to the ongoing case, Allen is seeking to have Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and US Attorney General Jeanine Pirro removed or disqualified from the case because they were present at the dinner, which could affect their judgment in the case.
His lawyer Eugene Ohm said: “It is completely inappropriate for victims of an alleged event like this to pursue the matter individually.”
According to reports, Allen traveled to Washington via train with various weapons and booked a room at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner took place.
The videos of the incident show the suspect running through security while simultaneously shooting at an intelligence agent. He was later subdued and arrested by officials. The dinner was canceled, which President Trump announced will be rescheduled shortly.
It was the first time Trump accepted the invitation of the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) to attend the dinner during either of his terms.
