World
Cole Allen, Charged With Trump Assassination, Took Photo With Guns, Knife At Washington Hotel
The man charged with trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner had reportedly taken a picture of himself in his hotel room just minutes earlier. He reportedly stayed in the Washington Hilton, the venue where US President Donald Trump and hundreds of journalists were meeting for a gala Saturday night when the incident happened.
In the photograph, the man accused of trying to kill President Donald Trump could be seen with an ammunition bag, shoulder gun holster and a sheathed knife, investigators said Wednesday in a new court filing, as reported by Associated Press.
He wore a black pants, a black shirt and a red tie as he snapped the image in his room at the Washington Hilton,
The man has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen and hails from Torrance, California.
The dinner had barely begun when Allen tried to race past security barricades near the cavernous ballroom holding hundreds of journalists and their guests, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents tasked with safeguarding the event and he was eventually captured, according to officials. Allen’s defender said he’s presumed innocent, the report said.
He carried with him a 12-gauge pump action shotgun he bought last year and a .38 calibre semiautomatic pistol he purchased in 2023, authorities said.
“He intended to kill and fired his shotgun while trying to breach security and attack his target. Put simply, the defendant poses an uncommonly serious danger to the community if released pending trial,” Assistant US Attorney Charles Jones wrote in the filing.
During his initial appearance in federal court, Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh outlined three charges against Allen:
- Attempt to assassinate the President of the United States
- Using a firearm during a crime of violence
- Transportation of a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony
Responding to the incident, US President Trump said he initially “wasn’t worried” when gunfire was heard, but quickly realised the seriousness of the situation alongside First Lady Melania Trump.
