The California man accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump is due back in court April 30 as he fights the government's efforts to keep him behind bars ahead of his trial.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, faces assassination and firearm charges after prosecutors say he attacked the White House Correspondents' Association dinner at a Washington, DC, Hilton hotel April 25. Allen was apprehended after firing a shotgun in the direction of stairs leading to the ballroom dinner area, prosecutors said in an April 29 court filing.
The Justice Department alleged Allen took a photo of himself before committing the "most serious" crimes in U.S. law. An enhanced version of the image included in the filing shows him wearing a sheathed knife, pliers and wire cutters, consistent with items later recovered when law enforcement arrested him, according to the DOJ.
Prosecutors say Allen emailed family, friends and a former employer about his plans minutes before the attack. He told them administration officials – with the exception of FBI Director Kash Patel – "are targets," and that he would prioritize them "from highest-ranking to lowest," according to the message published by the New York Post and independently confirmed by USA TODAY.
