Secret Service Agent Shot by Suspect During Correspondents' Dinner, Sources Say
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Investigators believe the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump shot a Secret Service officer wearing a bulletproof vest, according to three law enforcement officials familiar with the case. Authorities have determined that the Uniformed Division officer was not struck by friendly fire from another law enforcement member, sources told NBC News on Wednesday. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, allegedly breached a checkpoint one floor above the ballroom of the Washington Hilton hotel on Saturday, where the president was attending the White House Correspondents' Association gala. Allen was caught on video running with a shotgun and other weapons. Officials say an officer was struck in the vest and returned fire. The agent was hospitalized but discharged over the weekend. Allen was charged with firing a weapon but has not yet been formally indicted for assaulting a federal officer. A law enforcement source indicated that authorities are continuing to analyze Allen's devices, including desktop and laptop computers from his California residence, as well as his phone, laptop, and hard drives recovered from his Washington Hilton hotel room. Allen, a teacher and engineer from Torrance, California, made his first court appearance on Monday and was charged with attempted assassination of the president, interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony, and firing a weapon during a violent crime. A document filed Wednesday by prosecutors included several selfies Allen took in his hotel room Saturday night before the attack. The photos show him standing in front of his room's mirror dressed in black with a red tie. According to the court document, the suspect is seen in the image "carrying a small leather bag resembling the ammunition-filled bag later seized from him," along with a shoulder holster, a sheathed knife, pliers, and wire cutters. This article was originally published in English by Kelly O’Donnell and Tim Stelloh for our sister network NBC News.