Accused White House Shooter To Be Held For Trial

An Idaho Falls man accused of trying to kill President Barack Obama by firing several shots at the White House from long range will be detained pending trial.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola said at a hearing Monday that 21-year-old Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez is a "particularly dangerous individual." He said Ortega must be detained to ensure the safety of the public and the president.

Obama and his wife, Michelle, were out of town on the evening of Nov. 11, when authorities say Ortega used an assault rifle with a scope attached to fire up to a dozen shots at the White House.

Ortega's public defender argued Monday that the government has failed to establish that Ortega was the shooter or that the president was the target.

Associated Press