Photo shows Cole Allen in hotel room before attack as DOJ moves to keep him jailed: investigators

WASHINGTON – Investigators say the man accused of trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and attempting to kill President Donald Trump took a photo of himself in his hotel room just minutes before the attack. 

The image shows Cole Allen wearing an ammunition bag, a shoulder holster and a knife, according to a new court filing released Wednesday.

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Allen wore black pants, a black shirt and a red tie as he took the photo inside his room at the Washington Hilton, where Trump and hundreds of journalists gathered for Saturday night’s gala, authorities said.

Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was arrested after he tried to run past security barricades near the ballroom, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents assigned to protect the event, according to investigators. 

His federal defender says he remains presumed innocent.

Trump was not hurt and was rushed offstage by his security detail.

“When you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone,” Trump said at the White House two hours later, still in his tuxedo and uninjured. “They seem to think he was a lone wolf.”

New details emerged Wednesday in a court filing from prosecutors seeking to keep Allen in custody. Prosecutors said Allen repeatedly checked online updates to monitor Trump’s movements that night, including live coverage of the president arriving at the Hilton. 

READ MORE: Cole Allen: New details emerge in shooting investigation

Investigators also said preset emails containing an “Apology and Explanation” attachment were sent around 8:30 p.m.

“He intended to kill and fired his shotgun while trying to breach security and attack his target. Put simply, the defendant poses an uncommonly serious danger to the community if released pending trial. The defendant’s lack of criminal history and other personal circumstances do not alter this conclusion,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jones wrote.

An FBI affidavit filed Monday outlined additional planning behind the attack. 

Investigators say Allen reserved a room at the Washington Hilton on April 6, weeks before the dinner and its tight security. 

He then traveled cross-country by train from California last week and checked into the hotel one day before the event, with the room booked through the weekend.