Here's What Cole Allen Did in the Weeks Leading Up to the WHCD Shooting

Cole Tomas Allen, the gunman who allegedly opened fire at Saturday’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner, took a picture of himself in this hotel room just before the shooting.

A government memo seeking pretrial detention claims Allen carried out a premeditated attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump while placing senior White House officials and guests in danger.

Prosecutors say the suspect arrived at the hotel armed with a 12-gauge Mossberg Maverick 88 shotgun, a .38 caliber pistol, extra ammunition, knives, daggers, and tools before he ran through a Secret Service screen area toward the ballroom.

The memo included a selfie Allen took in his hotel room just before carrying out the shooting. The image shows him posing in front of a mirror with his weapons.

JUST IN: Federal prosecutors release new images and details of Cole Allen and his alleged attempt to assassinate president Trump. Here is a mirror selfie he took about 30 minutes before charging past the magnetometers. https://t.co/SjBVCPQJQO pic.twitter.com/tBPnPDOQPS
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 29, 2026

An officer saw Allen fire the shotgun toward the stairway leading down to the ballroom before the agents stopped and arrested him.

The memo cites evidence that Allen planned the attack in advance. He scheduled apology emails to friends and family members to be sent just before the assault. He also wrote out an explanation in which he noted that Trump and members of his administration were targets and that he was prepared to harm others to reach these targets.

According to law enforcement’s timeline, Allen allegedly began preparing for the shooting after President Trump publicly announced on March 2 that he planned to attend the dinner. He searched for information about the event on April 6. He booked a two-night stay at the Washington Hilton that same day and read up on the dinner’s schedule, hosts, and attendees.

Before April 21, he allegedly purchased a one-way Amtrak ticket from Los Angeles to Washington. He traveled to Chicago first, then continued on to Washington, D.C. He viewed news coverage about Trump’s plans for the dinner during the trip. Allen arrived in D.C. on April 24, obtained a Metro pass, headed to Dupont Circle, and checked into the hotel that afternoon.

The defendant left his room several times on April 25, checked a website tracking the president’s schedule around 6:26 p.m. He took the selfie around 8:03 p.m., watched live coverage of the dinner to see when Trump arrived. He sent his prescheduled emails at 8:30 p.m., discarded the coat he used to conceal the shotgun and sprinted through the magnetometer and fire toward the stairs leading to the ballroom.

Allen has been described as a high-educated part-time tutor and amateur game developer. He has a background in mechanical engineering and computer science who graduated from Caltech University. He has no prior criminal record.

Editor's Note: The Democrat Party has never been less popular as voters reject its globalist agenda.

Help us continue exposing Democrats' plans to lead America down a dangerous path. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.