The man accused of opening fire near the White House correspondents' dinner is now facing an additional federal charge after prosecutors alleged he fired at a U.S. Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint, authorities announced Tuesday.
Cole Tomas Allen, the suspected gunman in the incident, was hit with a new four-count indictment that includes a charge of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, according to The Guardian. The revised indictment expands the legal case against Allen, who had previously been accused of targeting former President Donald Trump.
What the new charge alleges
The additional charge specifically accuses Allen of discharging a firearm at a Secret Service agent stationed at a security checkpoint, according to federal authorities. The charge of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon carries significant potential penalties under federal law.
Federal prosecutors returned the updated indictment on Tuesday, formally presenting the expanded set of charges against Allen.
Background on the case
The White House correspondents' dinner is an annual Washington event that draws prominent journalists, politicians, and public figures. Security at the event and surrounding areas is typically handled by the Secret Service and other federal law enforcement agencies.
Allen had already been under federal scrutiny in connection with the alleged incident, with earlier charges relating to the alleged targeting of Trump. The new indictment signals that prosecutors are building a broader case that now explicitly encompasses alleged violence directed at law enforcement personnel present at the scene.
Details regarding Allen's legal representation and any plea entered in response to the new charges were not immediately available in the source reporting from The Guardian.
What comes next
The case remains in federal court, where Allen now faces the expanded four-count indictment. Federal charges involving the assault of a law enforcement officer, particularly one involving a firearm, are treated with significant severity under U.S. law.
Authorities have not publicly detailed what specific evidence connects Allen to the alleged assault on the Secret Service agent beyond the indictment itself.
