Cole Allen, the alleged White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) shooter, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including one related to the attempted assassination of US President Donald Trump.
During his court hearing on Monday, the 31-year-old suspect did not speak in court as his lawyer, Tezira Abe, entered the plea on his behalf. At the previous hearing, another judge apologized to Allen for the conditions of detention.
Prosecutors accused Allen of firing a shotgun at the U.S. Secret Service agent, storming a checkpoint with the intent to harm President Trump and his administration officials.
Charges against the suspect include:
- Attempted assassination of the president
- Assault on a federal agent
- Firearms offenses
In addition to the ongoing case, Allen is trying to get Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro to recuse themselves or be disqualified from the case because they were present at the dinner, which could affect their judgment regarding the case.
His lawyer Eugene Ohm said: “It is completely inappropriate for victims of an alleged event like this to individually pursue charges in this case. »
According to reports, Allen traveled to Washington by train carrying various weapons and booked a room at the Washington Hilton where the dinner was taking place.
Videos of the incident show the suspect walking through the security checkpoint while simultaneously shooting a Secret Service agent. He was then subdued and arrested by authorities. The dinner was canceled and President Trump announced that it would be postponed soon.
This was the first time Trump accepted the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) invitation to attend the dinner during his two terms in office.
