A California man accused of storming a gala dinner attended by President Donald Trump has appeared in court on charges of trying to assassinate the president and two firearms crimes at a dinner event that marked the latest spasm of political violence in deeply divided America.
Cole Allen, 31, faces a sentence of up to life in prison if convicted of attempting to kill President Donald Trump during the incident on Saturday at the White House Correspondents Association dinner in Washington.
Allen, who wore a blue jumpsuit, did not enter a plea at the hearing in a federal court in the US capital. He was held pending his next court appearance.
Prosecutors told the court that Allen was carrying a pump-action shotgun, a semi-automatic pistol and three knives when he tried to break through security at the Hilton hotel, where the annual WHCA dinner has taken place for decades.
Several shots were fired before he was subdued in a chaotic encounter near a checkpoint. Cole never got close to Trump or the other guests attending the large-scale dinner event on a lower floor.
Administration officials say the California man's attack was the third attempt on 79-year-old Trump's life in two years.
Trump, who was rushed out of the venue by Secret Service agents, posted camera footage of the gunman sprinting past a checkpoint one floor above the ballroom where the dinner was held.
After a brief exchange of gunfire with agents, the suspect was detained at the scene. No one was killed.
In a CBS interview on Sunday evening, Trump was asked if he feared there would be casualties as Washington's government and media elite ducked for cover at the black-tie dinner.
"I wasn't worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world," Trump said.
Trump’s first WHCA dinner
The suspect — who was armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives — was staying at the Washington Hilton hotel where the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner was held.
The New York Post said Allen had written in a message shared with his family shortly before the attack that his targets would be "prioritised from highest-ranking to lowest."
In the seconds after the shooting erupted a floor above, Secret Service agents swarmed into the ballroom, prompting chaotic scenes as attendees dove under tables.
Crowded into the venue were Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, several cabinet members and top lawmakers, and hundreds of guests.
Trump said at a hastily arranged late-night news conference at the White House that he first thought the noise was a tray being dropped, before realising it was gunfire.
He said he hoped the gala would be rescheduled within a month, adding that the hotel venue was "not a particularly secure" facility, as questions swirled about the president's safety protocols.
The hotel has hosted gala dinners for the White House Correspondents Association for decades without incident. The WHCA routinely invites sitting presidents to attend, but Saturday was the first time Trump had accepted.
