Correspondents’ dinner shooting suspect charged with attempted assassination

By: Gary Grumbach and David K. Li

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC NEWS) -- Federal prosecutors accused shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen of seeking to assassinate President Donald Trump.

Allen, making his first court appearance since Saturday night's armed confrontation at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, was charged with three criminal counts.

He was formally accused of trying to assassinate the president, interstate transportation of weapons and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime.

Allen came to Washington, D.C., armed with several deadly weapons, prosecutors said.

He was found to have a 12 gauge pump action shotgun, a .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol and three knives, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine told the court.

“Mr. Allen has no prior arrests or convictions,” court-appointed defense lawyer Tezira Abe said. “He is presumed innocent at this time.”

Allen was remanded into custody, pending a hearing on Thursday to determine if he's eligible for any kind of pre-trial release.

Allen did not have to enter a plea by the conclusion of this brief hearing in front of Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh.

The suspect's preliminary hearing was set for May 11.

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