New images show suspect taking selfies before Washington press…
New images included in a memorandum filed by the US government show Cole Tomas Allen – the man accused of opening fire at a White House Correspondents' dinner last weekend – with weapons in a hotel room before the attack. Prosecutors say the photos show Allen in his hotel room posing in front of a mirror with several weapons strapped to his body, including a sheathed knife, and a bag with ammunition. Allen is accused of carrying a semi-automatic handgun, a pump-action shotgun and three knives as he charged past a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday.
In the new memorandum, prosecutors say Allen took photos of himself in his hotel room with his cell phone at around 20:03 EST (1:03 BST) wearing dress clothes as well as a shoulder holster, pliers and wire cutters that they say were later recovered from Allen. The government alleges that for the next half hour, Allen checked several websites for live coverage of the White House Correspondents' dinner, and for the president's attendance. The new filing also alleges that Allen kept a note on his phone of observations of his surroundings as he traveled from his home in California across the country to Washington, including "[t]he southwest desert in spring Distant wind turbines looming like snowy mountains across the hazy NM desert".
Analysis: Why This Matters
Geopolitical moves around White House rarely stay local — expect knock-on effects on policy and markets.
Key Takeaways
- During Saturday night's incident, Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, cabinet members, and other White House officials were rushed from the Washington Hilton hotel ballroom after gunfire rang out.
- Officials have said the suspect left his home in the city of Torrance in the Los Angeles area on 21 April, travelling by train to Chicago before heading to Washington.
- Allen is accused of carrying a semi-automatic handgun, a pump-action shotgun and three knives as he charged past a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday.
We'll follow up as official statements and on-the-ground reporting emerge.
Source: BBC World