California man faces attempted assassination charge after shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner

Cole Allen: WHCD shooting suspect due in court

Cole Allen, the suspect in the White House correspondents' dinner shooting, is set to make his first court appearance on Monday. 

TORRANCE, Calif. - Cole Allen, the 31-year-old man from Torrance who has been identified by authorities as the suspected shooter at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, faces three charges. 

What we know:

Allen, a computer engineer and tutor, allegedly raced past security and assembled a long gun inside the hotel before charging toward the room where the event was being held.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Cole Allen: Torrance tutor named suspect in White House correspondents' dinner shooting with Trump present

During the chaos, a Secret Service agent was struck by gunfire but was saved by a bulletproof vest. Following the incident, federal agents raided Allen’s home in Torrance, where he lived with his parents. The Associated Press reports that Allen’s younger brother, who lives in Connecticut, originally alerted police after receiving a letter from the suspect explaining his plans. In that correspondence, Allen reportedly referred to himself as a "friendly federal assassin."

He was charged with the following on Monday:

Allen is facing three counts, per FOX: 

• Attempt to assassinate the President of the United States, which carries a potential life sentence
• Transporting a firearm across state lines, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine
• Discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years

A search of state and federal court databases showed no indication Allen had ever previously been charged with a crime, according to the Associated Press.

What they're saying:

President Trump addressed the shooting during an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," and discussed the suspect's background. 

"I read a manifesto, he's radicalized, he was a Christian, a believer, and then he became an anti-Christian and he had a lot of change," the president said. Regarding the future of the event, he added, "We'll do it again within the next 30 days and we'll make it bigger and better and even nicer."

Neighbors in Torrance expressed shock at the allegations. One resident noted, "Well, nobody wants anyone bad living that close by, right? So yeah, I don't, and once again, it's allegations. We don't know the true story, but it seems pretty horrendous so far."

Torrance Mayor George Chen also released a statement following the allegations.

"We are aware of reports identifying the suspect as a resident of Torrance," Chen said in a statement late Saturday night. "While that connection is deeply troubling, one individual's alleged actions do not define our city or the values of the more than 143,000 residents who call Torrance home. Torrance is a community built on respect, diversity, hard work, and public safety."

Local perspective:

The investigation has thrust a normally quiet Torrance neighborhood into the national spotlight. Those who knew Allen described him as a "gentle" and "extremely intelligent" individual, making the allegations of domestic terrorism difficult for the community to reconcile. While federal agents swarmed the home over the weekend, the suspect’s parents initially resisted letting agents inside before eventually relenting to the search.

Former colleague Bill Melugin, who attended the dinner, raised concerns about the ease of access at the venue. He noted that "hypothetically, if I had hidden an explosive in my shoe or my jacket, I would have had no problem getting into one of those ballrooms," adding that badges were "barely checked" at some checkpoints.

What we don't know:

While a manifesto was released over the weekend, investigators are still searching for a specific motive behind the attack. 

What's next:

A detention hearing was scheduled for April 30 at 11 a.m., and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for May 11.