Newly released footage captures the moment a California man opened fire at a Secret Service officer during an apparent assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, federal prosecutors revealed Thursday.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, a teacher from Los Angeles, sprinted through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton with a shotgun in hand and discharged a weapon at the officer, according to video posted by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. The shooting occurred on a terrace level one floor above the ballroom where President Donald Trump was attending the annual event Saturday evening.
The video shows Allen bursting through a metal detector around 8:40 p.m. as a Secret Service officer in a black shirt and ballistic vest drew his handgun and fired. None of the five 9-millimeter rounds the officer discharged struck Allen, according to authorities. Allen fell to the ground seconds later and was arrested at the scene.
Pirro emphasized that "there is no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly fire," directly attributing the gunfire to Allen himself. The Secret Service officer was struck but protected by his ballistic vest and released from the hospital shortly after the incident.
Additional video evidence shows Allen conducting surveillance at the hotel on Friday, the day before the attack. Footage captures him walking hallways and pointing at locations while dressed in street clothes, not workout attire, despite moving through the gym area. The video was edited with circles highlighting Allen as he ran toward the checkpoint and the officer's drawn weapon.
Allen arrived in Washington by train from California and checked into the Hilton before the dinner. At approximately 8:03 p.m. Saturday, he photographed himself in a black dress shirt, slacks, and red tie while wearing a shoulder holster and carrying an ammunition-filled bag, according to court documents.
He was armed with a Mossberg 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38 caliber pistol, along with knives. Prosecutors said Allen had written a manifesto detailing his intention to target members of the Trump administration, ranking them from highest to lowest in importance.
Allen faces three federal counts: attempting to assassinate the president of the United States, transporting firearms and ammunition across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He has not entered a plea. A judge ordered him held in custody Thursday, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11.
During Thursday's detention hearing, Allen's attorneys did not contest the government's motion to keep him locked up but requested his removal from 24-hour "safe cell" isolation. U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya denied the request, stating she lacked authority over inmate housing assignments.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "This video is the smoking gun prosecutors needed, and it closes off any ambiguity about who pulled that trigger."
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