The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed court papers on April 29 requesting that Cole Allen, the suspect accused in a shooting during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 25, remain jailed pending trial, as it released new photos of the suspect.
“The United States of America, by and through its attorney, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, respectfully submits this memorandum in support of its oral motion to detain defendant Cole Tomas Allen pending trial,” a DOJ memorandum states.
The filing included previously unseen photos showing Allen armed and inside a hotel room shortly before the shooting occurred, apparently captured by his phone camera.
The memorandum noted that he had a shoulder holster and a sheathed knife. Highlighting those items were red circles that were apparently added by DOJ officials.
Around half an hour after he allegedly took the photos, Allen allegedly ran past magnetometers and fired a shot from a shotgun before he fell down and was restrained by authorities at the Washington Hilton hotel where the dinner was held.
Allen was charged Monday in federal court with three counts, including a count of attempting to assassinate the president. The other charges involved the use and transportation of firearms.
Officials said that a Secret Service official was shot in the chest by Allen but wasn’t seriously injured as the official was wearing a bulletproof vest.
The DOJ memorandum also noted that Allen could face life in prison without the possibility of parole if he is convicted.
“The defendant’s actions were premeditated, violent, and calculated to cause death,” the DOJ said. “Considering the relevant statutory factors, there is no condition or combination of conditions that will reasonably assure the safety of other people or the community if the defendant were released from custody. The Court should detain the defendant pending trial.”
An FBI affidavit filed in the case on Monday revealed additional details about the alleged planning behind the assault, with authorities alleging that on April 6, Allen reserved a room for himself at the Washington hotel where the event would be held weeks later under its typical tight security. He allegedly traveled by train from California last week, checking himself into the Washington Hilton a day before the dinner with a room reserved for the weekend.
Allen carried with him a 12-gauge pump action shotgun he bought last year and a .38 caliber pistol he purchased in 2023, authorities said.
“Violence has no place in civic life,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference. “It cannot and will not be used to disrupt democratic institutions or intimidate those who serve them, and it certainly cannot continue to be used against the president of the United States.”
A White House official told The Epoch Times on Sunday that Allen wrote a manifesto that he sent to family members, describing anti-Trump and anti-Christian viewpoints. Social media pages that appear to match the suspect said that he worked as a tutor and also produced a video game that was released on the Steam platform.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Friends Read Free
Copy
Facebook
Tweet
