The suspect in Saturday's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump on Monday, alongside two federal gun charges.
Why it matters: Prosecutors signaled the charges could be just the start, with additional charges added as the investigation develops.
- Conviction for the attempted assassination of a president could lead to life in prison, as seen in the case of a previous attempt on Trump's life.
- Cole Tomas Allen, 31, did not enter a plea during his arraignment in D.C. federal court. He is expected back in court on Thursday to determine if he will remain in federal custody.
Catch up quick: Allen, a 31-year-old from California, allegedly fired several rounds at the WHCD's annual dinner on Saturday, striking a Secret Service agent near the event's security perimeter.
- U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told reporters Monday that Allen possessed a 12 gage pump action shotgun, a 38 semi automatic and at least three knives.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that the motive for the attack is unconfirmed, but said Allen was likely aiming to target the president and other top administration officials.
- Blanche also said Allen initially spoke with officials but is no longer cooperating with law enforcement.
Zoom in: A federal official told CBS News that Allen's writings indicated he was anti-Trump and that he had repeatedly told a family member he had a "plan to do 'something' to fix the issues with today's world."
Zoom out: The shooting marks the third time someone has tried to assassinate the president in less than three years.
- The first was during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, grazed Trump's ear using an "AR-style 556 rifle," per the FBI. A sniper killed Crooks at the scene.
- Weeks later, Ryan Wesley Routh was intercepted by Secret Service agents at Trump's Florida golf course before any shots were fired. Routh had written in a letter that he had planned to assassinate Trump. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year.
The intrigue: Saturday's shooting and a slew of other assassination plots against Trump have sewn distrust of law enforcement's ability to protect the president.
- Only 27% of Americans are very confident that the Secret Service can protect presidents from harm, per a new survey from YouGov.
- Thirty-one percent are somewhat confident, and 11% were not at all confident.
Go deeper: Trump officials believed to be WHCD gunman's target, acting AG says
Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more information.
