The suspect in the April 25 shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner plead not guilty on Monday.
Cole Tomas Allen has been charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, who was at the dinner along with many other administration officials. His lawyers entered his plea on Monday before U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, as Allen remained silent during the arraignment in an orange jail outfit, according to the Associated Press.
Allen also has been charged with discharging a firearm during a violent crime and transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce.
The suspect is accused of storming a security checkpoint at the dinner last month, leading to multiple shots being fired before he was apprehended. The suspect had been staying at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was held.
The noise of the shots was heard in the ballroom, where guests were finishing an appetizer before the main course at the annual dinner. Attendees dropped to the floor and under tables as Secret Service agents scrambled to rush Trump and First Lady Melania Trump from the dais, along with other administration officials.
A Secret Service officer was shot, but he was wearing a bullet-proof vest and was not injured. The suspect was apprehended before he was able to make his way down a flight of stairs, leading to the entrance to the ballroom where the dinner was taking place.
The White House Correspondents Association has yet to determine whether the event will be rescheduled, or held in some other form.
