The bullet that struck a Secret Service officer during Saturday's shooting outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner came from suspected assassin Cole Allen's shotgun, not from friendly fire, federal investigators concluded Wednesday.
Justice Department investigators working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, fired his weapon when he charged a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton. The round struck the Secret Service officer in his bulletproof vest but caused no serious injury.
Six total shots rang out during the incident — one from Allen and five from the Secret Service officer who was hit. The bullet that struck the agent likely hit a cellphone tucked inside a pocket of his bulletproof vest, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.
Allen dropped to the floor during the gunfight and was arrested at the scene without being wounded. He now faces federal charges including attempting to assassinate the president of the United States, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony.
The California man made his first federal court appearance Monday but did not enter a plea. Prosecutors released photos of Allen and are seeking to keep him detained pending trial.
The incident unfolded as journalists and Washington power brokers gathered inside the hotel ballroom for the annual correspondents' dinner. Secret Service agents manning security checkpoints outside the venue responded quickly when Allen approached with the shotgun.
The shooting represents another serious test of Secret Service protective operations, coming as the agency faces continued scrutiny over security protocols for high-profile events. The fact that an armed suspect reached a security checkpoint raises questions about perimeter security arrangements.
Allen's case will likely proceed through federal court in Washington, D.C., where attempted assassination charges carry severe penalties. Prosecutors must now build their case around Allen's intent and the circumstances that brought him from California to the nation's capital with a loaded shotgun.
