Trump Assassination Suspect Cole Tomas Allen Hit With New Terrorism Charge

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, who was arrested in April for allegedly trying to assassinate President Donald Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, now faces an additional charge.

Updated Charges Announced

The Department of Justice issued a press release on Friday, November 13, laying out the details of a “5-count superseding indictment unsealed” in the U.S. District Court.

Previously, he faced charges of attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, assault with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm, and “transporting a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with the intent to commit a felony.”

The new charge is “one count of act of terrorism while armed.” The DOJ said the maximum penalty Allen faces is life imprisonment. The press release noted that U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro confirmed the new terrorism charge.

CDS News reported in April that when Cole Tomas Allen first appeared in court, Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the possibility of additional charges.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office.

What Happened

The backstory is that Allen boarded a train in California and rode to Washington, D.C. Once there, he stormed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton. At the time, he was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and some knives.

According to The Independent UK, “Cole Tomas Allen, allegedly rushed past security and fired at least one gunshot.”

During the confrontation, a Secret Service agent took a round to the chest, though the bulletproof vest prevented serious injury or death. Officers quickly moved in, subduing Allen with only minor injuries.

The Backstory Of Allen

Before his cross-country trip to Washington, D.C., Allen had studied mechanical engineering at Caltech, but he later added a master’s degree via CSU Dominguez Hills.

At the time, Allen went into gaming and built and released Bohrdom, an indie game on Steam.

The ‘Friendly Assassin’

The CDS News piece explained that the alleged motive came after the accused wrote to his relatives, “Administration officials… are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.”

Allegedly, he referred to himself as “Friendly Federal Assassin Allen” in an email. The attachment was titled “Apology and Explanation.”

Viewers Were Skeptical

When CNN documented details about Cole Tomas Allen six months ago, some skeptical folks appeared in the comments section, and some of them wondered how he had planned to get away with it.

Others wondered how he’d managed to get to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner via an expensive hotel.

One person wrote, “What part-time school teacher could afford to stay at the Hilton Hotel in DC, give us a break.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion:

• “How was the shooter able to transport a shot gun and whatever other weapons across the country, into a ‘secured’ hotel where Trump was expected to be?”
• “One would think that metal detectors and a sweep for weapons in the hotel rooms would be security 101, no?”
• “How did he get it that room with all those weapons?!? Questions Questions that will never be answered.”

He Allegedly Had A Lot Of Weapons

Those unanswered questions might arise during the trial. For now, what is known, according to the DOJ update, is that Allen “was in possession of the Mossberg shotgun with one spent cartridge in the barrel…a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38 caliber pistol, dozens of rounds of unspent 12-gauge shotgun ammunition and .38 caliber ammunition.”

He also had “two knives, four daggers, multiple sheaths, multiple holsters, needle nose pliers, and wire cutters.”

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