Investigators have confirmed that the suspected gunman who attempted to storm a Washington media gala attended by Donald Trump did fire the shot that struck a Secret Service officer, according to a federal prosecutor.
Uncertainty had remained over whose weapon injured the officer—who was hit in his protective vest—after at least one Secret Service agent also discharged a firearm during the April 25 incident.
Speaking on CNN, Jeanine Pirro said forensic analysis had now established that a pellet from the suspect’s Mossberg pump-action shotgun was embedded in the officer’s vest.
The suspect, Cole Allen, was apprehended shortly after breaching a security checkpoint while carrying multiple weapons. He has yet to enter a plea.
Pirro stated that the evidence shows the suspect intended to kill, saying he would have harmed “anyone who got in his way” while attempting to reach the president.
Authorities have released limited security footage showing Allen running through a checkpoint and raising a firearm at an officer, who responded by opening fire. The clip does not clearly show the moment the suspect discharged his weapon or where he was ultimately subdued.
Prosecutors indicated that additional footage, including events following the initial encounter, will be made public at a later stage.