Cole Tomas Allen, 31, faced charges after prosecutors said he tried to force his way through security at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington last Saturday. 

According to newly released court documents, Allen armed himself with multiple weapons and took a selfie in his hotel room before the attack, allegedly intending to kill Trump and other senior officials. 

The documents said Allen had planned the attack weeks in advance. He searched online for “white house correspondents dinner 2026,” on April 6, before receiving an email confirming a two-night stay at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was held. 

In the lead-up to the attack, he reportedly used his phone to access “online media articles discussing the dinner,” and watched a live video of Trump arriving on the night.

At about 8pm, Allen took a mirror selfie armed with weapons including a 12-gauge shotgun, a .38 calibre pistol, knives and a large amount of ammunition.

Prosecutors said he fired “in the direction of the stairs leading down to the ballroom,” targeting officials attending the event.

The court documents describe the incident as an “act of political violence,” and warn Allen would pose “an uncommonly serious danger to the community,” if released.

“Had the defendant achieved his intended outcome, he would have brought about one of the darkest days in American history,” the documents state.

Allen’s legal team have filed a motion arguing he has been monitored too closely, with jail staff and other lawyers able to listen in to meetings with his lawyers. 

The court had not yet ruled on the matter.

The case is due to return to court in Washington on Thursday, local time, for a hearing on Allen’s ongoing custody.

Photo: Black Machine Gun on the Table by Lukáš Trstenský is available HERE and used under a Creative Commons Licence. This image has been cropped.