DOJ says Cole Tomas Allen must stay jailed: 'Calculated to cause death'
DOJ says Cole Tomas Allen must stay jailed: 'Calculated to cause death'
Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAYWed, April 29, 2026 at 4:50 PM UTC
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Actions that were "premeditated, violent, and calculated to cause death." The "most serious" crimes in U.S. law. A "possible sentence of life in prison."
The Justice Department isn't holding back in its bid to keep the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump locked up.
1 / 0Trump officials evacuate White House press dinner amid reported shooting
Security officials evacuate U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) as a possible shooter opened fire during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 25, 2026. President Donald Trump, who was in attendance, said a shooter was apprehended in a social media post.Trump and first lady Melania Trump were evacuated out of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner minutes after it began, as attendees took cover on the floor.
In an April 29 court filing asking a federal judge in Washington, DC to keep Cole Tomas Allen in custody in the lead-up to his trial, government lawyers essentially said there are no bail conditions that would keep others safe if Allen were to go free.
"So long as the President and members of his Cabinet continue to appear publicly, which they undoubtedly will, the defendant’s motivation for violence remains," they said.
The DOJ also revealed a new photo of Allen, allegedly taken by him shortly before the attack. An enhanced version of the image shows him wearing a sheathed knife, pliers, and wire cutters, consistent with items later recovered when law enforcement arrested him, according to the DOJ.
Allen has been charged not only with attempting to assassinate a president, but also with transporting a gun and ammunition to commit a felony and firing a gun during a violent crime. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, whose DC staff is prosecuting the case, has vowed to bring additional charges as the investigation unfolds.
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If Allen is convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
The case arose after Allen was arrested during an incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at a Washington, DC, Hilton hotel on April 25. Several top officials were present at the dinner, including Trump, Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R–Louisiana.
Allen attempted to storm the dinner on foot, carrying multiple guns and knives, and planned to kill top officials, starting with the highest-ranking, according to the charges. Prosecutors said he emailed family, friends, and a former employer about his plans minutes before the attack.
Law enforcement personnel detain Cole Tomas Allen, a suspect in the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, in Washington, D.C., U.S. April 25, 2026.
Tezira Abe, one of two lawyers appointed to represent Allen, previewed what the defense may argue as it seeks conditions that will free Allen from jail at a April 27 proceeding in the case. Abe told a judge that Allen has no prior arrests or convictions and is presumed innocent under the law.
Government lawyers agreed in their new filing that Allen has a clean criminal record, but still said he's a danger to the public.
"Although the defendant apparently has not had prior contact with the criminal justice system, his personal history and circumstances demonstrate that conditions less restrictive than detention will not reasonably assure the community’s safety while this case proceeds," the lawyers said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DOJ reveals new photo in bid for Cole Tomas Allen to stay jailed
Source: “AOL Breaking”
