The Department of Justice is urging a federal court to keep Cole Allen, the suspect accused of opening fire at the Washington Hilton Hotel during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, behind bars.
The DOJ’s Wednesday filing includes a new photo showing Allen armed and inside a hotel room moments before the shooting unfolded.
Fox News reports:
“The United States of America, by and through its attorney, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, respectfully submits this memorandum in support of its oral motion to detain defendant Cole Tomas Allen pending trial,” a filing notes.
“At approximately 8:03 p.m., while back inside his hotel room, the defendant used his cellphone to take a photograph of himself in the mirror,” the filing states, noting that Allen “appeared to be wearing a small leather bag consistent in appearance with the ammunition-filled bag later recovered from his person (item 1), a shoulder holster (item 2), a sheathed knife consistent in appearance with one of the knives later recovered from his person (item 3), and pliers and wire cutters consistent in appearance with those later recovered from his person (item 4).”
Allen is now facing federal charges tied to what prosecutors describe as an attempt to violently disrupt the event and assassinate the President. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the suspect’s background and motives.
