Cole Allen, the correspondents' dinner shooter, is charged with shooting a Secret Service officer

A federal grand jury on Tuesday returned a four-count indictment charging 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.

The attack occurred last April 25 during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Allen, a native of Torrance, California, not only faces the charge of attempted assassination, but also charges of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, interstate transportation of weapons with intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. 

Investigations reveal that Allen traveled across the country with a tactical arsenal to accomplish his goal. According to the Department of Justice, shortly after 8:30 p.m. on the night of the event, the defendant bypassed a Secret Service security checkpoint on the hotel's terrace level and ran toward the stairs leading to the main ballroom, where President Trump was standing. 

During his advance, Allen fired a Mossberg Maverick 88 12-gauge Mossberg sliding shotgun, impacting a Secret Service officer directly in the chest.

The officer returned fire five times, allowing Allen to be pinned down and placed under arrest. Despite the exchange of gunfire, the suspect suffered only a minor knee injury and was not injured by the bullets.

"Today's indictment underscores a simple truth: there is evidence that this defendant intended to assassinate the president and that he shot a U.S. Secret Service officer after driving across the country with a cache of ammunition to accomplish his goals," prosecutor Pirro said.

Tactical arsenal and Department of Justice assertiveness

At the time of his arrest, Allen possessed considerable combat gear. In addition to the Mossberg shotgun, he carried a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38-caliber Rock Island pistol, dozens of rounds of ammunition, two knives, four daggers, multiple holsters, needle-nose pliers and wire cutters.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche highlighted law enforcement's bravery and sent a strong message against political violence. "Under President Trump's leadership, violent political actors will never win; we will prosecute anyone who engages in these horrific acts to the fullest extent of the law," Blanche stated.

For his part, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the agency has worked around the clock since the night of the attack to strengthen the case. "Cole Allen traveled to Washington, D.C., attempting to assassinate President Trump and high-ranking members of his administration, and attacked federal law enforcement in the process," Patel assured.

The legal process will now be led by the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.