The United States Department of Justice released this Wednesday, the 29th, a new image of Cole Tomas Allen, who attempted to carry out a shooting attack during a dinner attended by the American president, Donald Trump, last Saturday, the 25th.
In the photo, Allen appears in a “selfie” taken in the mirror in what appears to be a hotel room, with several weapons next to his body, as well as a jagged knife and a bag of ammunition. Justice Department prosecutors highlighted the items.
In the document released by the Department of Justice, prosecutors say Allen took the selfies around 8:03 p.m. local time. Over the next half hour, he accessed multiple websites to follow coverage of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and confirm whether Trump was in attendance.
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Then he went downstairs towards the ballroom, where the dinner was taking place. He reportedly got rid of a long black coat that hid a pump-action shotgun. Then he ran through a metal detector, holding the shotgun with both hands raised.
The shooter exchanged fire with authorities before being neutralized by the Secret Service. He did not enter the ballroom, authorities said.
At a White House press conference later that night, Trump said a Secret Service agent had been shot but was protected by a bulletproof vest. He was taken to a hospital, authorities said. There were no reports of other injuries, according to Markwayne Mullin, secretary of Homeland Security.
Allen is expected to answer for attempted murder of Trump, in addition to two other federal crimes related to the use of a firearm. The information was communicated by federal judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh to the accused on Monday, 27. The charge could result in a sentence of life in prison if convicted. The other charges against Allen in addition to attempted murder – transporting a firearm between states with the aim of committing a serious crime and discharging a firearm during a violent crime – both carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Allen, from Torrance, California, is said to be a highly educated private teacher and amateur video game developer.
Federal authorities are investigating a text attributed to him that suggests political motivation and outrage over government actions. The note also indicates that members of the government were the main targets. “Government employees (excluding Patel): are targets, ranked in order of priority, from highest to lowest,” says the text, in apparent reference to FBI Director Kash Patel.
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