WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – After the shooting at a gala in Washington, the attacker is accused of attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump. The Washington Post and CNN reported this unanimously from the courtroom in Washington where the suspect was brought before the judge. As expected, two additional charges were added: using a firearm to commit a violent act and assaulting a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
The suspect, according to media reports, a 31-year-old man from California, stormed heavily armed through a Secret Service security post at the gala dinner with the capital’s press on Saturday evening (local time) before he was stopped by officers. A security guard was hit by at least one shot, but was not seriously injured because of his protective vest.
Acting Justice Minister Todd Blanche said before the court hearing that the shooter was probably targeting members of the government. This is consistent with media reports about the shooter’s manifesto. Accordingly, the attacker wrote in his 1,000-word long document that he was targeting government representatives, “prioritised from the highest to the lowest ranking.”/jcf/DP/he
