Federal prosecutors have released new security footage showing the moments before and during the attempted attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which President Donald Trump and other officials attended at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C. on Saturday night.
The video, made public on Thursday, shows the alleged suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, walking through the hotel’s hallways, appearing to survey the area before the incident. Prosecutors say Allen is then seen running through a security checkpoint with a shotgun, pointing it at a Secret Service officer. The officer fired back five times as Allen rushed toward the ballroom filled with journalists, government officials, and guests.
U.S. Attorney for Washington, Jeanine Pirro, posted the video online, stating that there is no evidence the officer was hit by friendly fire and that Allen shot the officer, who was protected by a bulletproof vest. While the video shows an exchange of gunfire, it is not clear from the footage exactly when Allen’s weapon was discharged. Pirro emphasized, “There is no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly fire.”
The nearly six-minute video also includes scenes from the night before, reportedly showing Allen repeatedly walking through the hotel and briefly entering the gym, which prosecutors say demonstrates he was casing the location.
Just before the shooting, Allen took a photo of himself in his hotel room with weapons and referred to himself in a message as a “Friendly Federal Assassin,” according to prosecutors.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran defended the security setup, stating in a Fox News interview that the multi-layered security plan stopped the attack at the outer perimeter, with President Trump 355 feet away from the incident site. Curran noted that Allen was not shot by the Secret Service but tripped over a metal detector box while being engaged by the officer.
Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, faces charges including attempted assassination of the president and firearms violations. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison. Allen’s attorneys agreed in a federal court hearing to keep him detained pending trial but maintained that the government’s evidence relies on inference and speculation about his intent. Allen has not yet entered a plea.
As the case moves forward, prosecutors are expected to present further evidence, and Allen remains in federal custody.
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