Man charged with trying to kill Donald Trump at dinner took photo with knife in hotel

Cole Allen wore black pants, a black shirt and a red tie when he took the photo in his room at the Washington Hilton, where Trump and hundreds of journalists gathered for a gala on Saturday evening, authorities said.

The 31-year-old from Torrance, California, was captured as he tried to race past security barricades near the hotel ballroom, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents charged with securing the event, investigators say.

New details emerged in a lawsuit filed by prosecutors who want Allen to remain in custody. There is a hearing on Thursday.

The government said Allen made repeated online checks to track Trump’s status that evening, including live coverage of the president leaving his car at the Hilton hotel. Investigators said preset emails with an “Apology and Explanation” attachment were sent at about 8:30 p.m.

“He intended to kill and fire his shotgun while attempting to breach security and attack his target. Simply put, the suspect poses an extremely serious danger to the community if released pending trial. The suspect’s lack of criminal history and other personal circumstances do not change this conclusion,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jones.

Trump, a Republican, was unscathed. A Secret Service officer wearing a bulletproof vest was shot in the vest and survived.

Allen appeared in court Monday charged with the attempted assassination of the president, after authorities suggested an attack that disrupted one of Washington’s most high-profile events had been planned for at least several weeks. During the quick hearing, he did not speak at length, as is customary. One of his lawyers, Tezira Abe, noted that he had no criminal record and said he is “presumed innocent at this time.”

Trump was rushed off stage by his security team on Saturday evening and appeared at the White House two hours later, still in his tuxedo.

“If you have an impact, they come after you. If you don’t have an impact, they leave you alone,” he said.

“They seem to think he was a lone wolf.”

An FBI affidavit filed Monday revealed other details about the planning behind the attack, with authorities alleging that Allen reserved a room for himself at the Washington hotel on April 6, where the event would be held weeks later under typically tight security.

He traveled across the country by train from California and checked himself into the Washington Hilton the day before dinner, with a room reserved for the weekend.

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