White House shooting suspect pleads not guilty

Washington (CNN) — An Idaho man accused of trying to assassinate President Barack Obama by shooting at the White House pleaded not guilty, as expected, in federal court Tuesday.

Oscar Ortega-Hernandez will remain in custody until his trial, a date for which has not yet been scheduled.

He appeared in a dark blue prison jumpsuit at his brief arraignment hearing before Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson. He was indicted last week on 17 criminal counts.

Prosecutors say Ortega-Hernandez fired a Romanian-made assault rifle out of the window of his car the evening of November 11. After allegedly sending a number of rounds toward the White House, he sped away toward a bridge leading to the Virginia suburbs, but crashed his vehicle and fled on foot, officials say.

A court document says Ortega-Hernandez’s fingerprints were found on ammunition magazines left in a 1998 Honda, but not on the weapon itself, which also was left in the car.