United States authorities unveiled a video on Thursday depicting the moment when an armed individual attempted to breach the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with the intention of harming President Donald Trump. Jeanine Pirro, the leading federal prosecutor in Washington, shared the video on social media, asserting that it captures Cole Tomas Allen shooting a U.S. Secret Service officer as he charges through security towards the event attended by journalists and government officials.
Previously, prosecutors had alleged that the agent was shot in a bullet-resistant vest during the chaos but had not confirmed the identity of the shooter. However, Pirro stated that there is no proof of friendly fire in this incident. The footage shows Allen passing through a magnetometer and aiming his weapon at the officer, who subsequently fired back five rounds, as per authorities. The exact moment of Allen discharging his weapon is not clearly visible in the video.
Despite sustaining injuries, Allen was not shot during the attack at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night, disrupting a prominent annual gathering in the capital city. During a brief appearance in federal court, Allen agreed to remain in custody pending trial without entering a plea. Secret Service Director Sean Curran defended the security measures in place for the event, emphasizing that the attack was swiftly thwarted at the outermost security perimeter.
Pirro’s nearly six-minute video also shows Allen wandering down a hotel hallway and briefly visiting the gym the day before the incident. Security checkpoint footage illustrates federal officers dismantling magnetometers when the assailant emerges from a doorway and charges towards them. Only one officer in the video appears to have drawn his weapon before Allen passes by, the same officer who was shot and returned fire according to Pirro.
In court filings advocating for Allen’s continued detention, prosecutors pointed out that he took a self-portrait in his hotel room just prior to the incident, equipped with an ammunition bag, a shoulder gun holster, and a sheathed knife. Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” in a message believed to shed light on his motive, citing grievances with various actions of the Trump administration.
Charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump and related firearms offenses, Allen faces potential life imprisonment if convicted. A resident of Torrance, California, Allen worked part-time as a test preparation tutor and pursued amateur video game development.