US intel: Iran war may have triggered White House dinner shooter

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified the ongoing war against Iran by the United States and Israel as a possible motive for the shooting and attempted attack on US President Donald Trump at a White House event last month. 

This assessment appears in an intelligence report circulated to state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide, Caliber.Az reports citing Reuters.

The report is a preliminary analysis issued on April 27 by DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis and states that the suspect, identified as Cole Allen, had multiple social and political grievances. It concludes that the conflict with Iran "may have contributed to his decision to conduct the attack," citing social media posts in which Allen criticised US actions in the war.

The findings shed new light on the US government’s efforts to determine the motive behind the foiled attack at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on April 25. 

The agency document, labelled a “Critical Incident Note,” was obtained by the nonprofit organisation "Property of the People" through a public records request and shared with Reuters.

The Justice Department added a new charge to Allen's record this week, accusing him of assaulting a federal officer and opening fire on a United States Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint. The detained citizen, who has not yet entered a plea agreement, had already been charged with attempted murder, using a firearm in a violent crime, and transporting firearms and ammunition across state lines. 

By Nazrin Sadigova