DC Shooting Suspect Cole Allen Drops Bid for Release From Prison

Cole Allen, the suspected attacker at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington on April 25, has withdrawn a request to be released from prison while his case is litigated.

Allen had challenged his detention in a court filing, arguing that he is not a flight risk, and citing his educational background and work as a tutor.

“Mr. Allen has no criminal history—not even prior arrests, which alone would rebut the presumption of detention,” his attorneys wrote.

They also noted that the manifesto Allen wrote ahead of the incident stressed that he intended to “minimize casualties” when attacking the press dinner.

Allen’s attorney, Tezira Abe, told the court on April 30 that her client would no longer oppose his detention for the time being, but reserved the right to do so at a later date.

Despite Allen’s request being withdrawn, Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jones asked the court to allow the government to present its evidence anyway; he said it was required under the Bail Reform Act’s procedural rules.

Magistrate Judge for the District of Columbia Moxila Upadhyaya rejected the government’s request, calling it “unprecedented” and “inefficient.”

“What audience is your supplemental information for?” she asked.

Upadhyaya said that aside from the fact that the defendant had already conceded to the government’s request to hold him, even if Allen challenged his detention later, it would be before a different judge.

That means the government would have to present its case twice.

Jones said it was more efficient to have the hearing as scheduled, and get information on the record.

Abe told the court she had received the government’s evidence only about an hour before the hearing, and would have needed to request a continuance to examine it.

Upadhyaya also rejected a request from Abe to allow her client to be moved from a 24-hour surveillance cell.

“I don’t have the authority, nor would I presume to override the authority of the jail,” on Allen’s placement, she said.

Allen is charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25 at around 8:40 p.m. He also faces one count of transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

If convicted, Allen faces life in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

On April 6, Allen allegedly made a reservation at the Washington Hilton, the location of the event, for three nights, according to court documents. Officials say he traveled by train from his home in Los Angeles to the nation’s capitol and checked into the hotel on April 24.

Surveillance video shows a man charging past a magnetometer security checkpoint at the hotel on April 25 before being tackled by Secret Service agents. An agent was shot during the incident, but it remains unclear whether the shot was fired by Allen.

The next step in the case is a hearing scheduled for May 11; Allen has not yet entered a plea.