Torrance man charged with attempt to assassinate President Trump in Correspondents’ Dinner attack

The U.S. Department of Justice provided new information and photos Wednesday in a court filing ahead of a detention hearing this week for the Torrance man charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The filing, urging the judge to keep suspect Cole Tomas Allen in custody, included photos of Allen in his Washington D.C. hotel room, that had not previously been made public. The filing also includes a list of items DOJ officials said were in Allen’s possession.

Those items included a Mossberg 12-gauge pump action shotgun with one spent cartridge in the barrel and eight unfired cartridges in the magazine tube; more unfired cartridges attacked to the gun and in a small leather bag; a .38-caliber pistol with 10 rounds of ammunition; two knives and four daggers; sheaths and holsters, needle nose pliers, wire cutters and a cellphone.

During a search of his parents’ Southern California residence, authorities found two long gun bags, a Mossberg butt stock, a pistol holster, a training pistol, and shotgun ammunition, along with several electronic devices in Allen’s bedroom, according to the filing.

Photos of Allen and the items the DOJ said were in his possession at the time of the attack were included in the filing. At about 8 p.m. on the night of the attack at the hotel where high-ranking Trump administration officials and journalists had gathered, Allen took photos of himself in the mirror of his hotel room, where he was a registered guest, the DOJ said.

The images appear to show Allen dressed in black with a red neck tie. DOJ officials said Allen also is wearing the small leather bag, a shoulder holster, sheathed knife, pliers and wire cutters.

The 31-year-old South Bay was charged earlier this week with attempting to assassinate the President of the United States; transportation of a firearm and ammunition through interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony; and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

He is scheduled for a detention hearing on Thursday.

Allen, flanked by U.S. Marshals, walked into federal court Monday in a blue jumpsuit. He was being represented by a federal public defender. He did not enter a plea.

He remains in federal custody following his arrest at the Washington Hilton after the Saturday attack, part of which was captured on security camera video. The video showed a man rushing past a security checkpoint one floor above the dinner ballroom inside the hotel.

Allen was armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives when he ran toward the packed ballroom, authorities said. He exchanged gunfire with law enforcement authorities and was tackled to the ground.

A U.S. Secret Service officer wearing a protective ballistic vest was shot in the chest during the confrontation. The same officer drew his service weapon and fired several rounds at Allen, who fell to the ground, but was not struck by gunfire, according to court documents.

Homeland security expert Dr. Erroll Suthers shares his reaction to the apparent lack of security measures surrounding the shooting during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. This video was broadcast during the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, 2026.

“Before the defendant approached the checkpoint, he discarded a long black coat that concealed a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun,” the DOJ said in its filing. “The defendant then sprinted through one of the magnetometers at the checkpoint and ran in the direction of the stairs leading to the ballroom where the President and members of his family and Cabinet were located. As the defendant did so, he held a shotgun in both hands in a raised position parallel to the ground.

“A USSS officer observed the defendant fire the shotgun in the direction of the stairs leading down to the ballroom. The USSS officer and others at the checkpoint heard the gunshot. The USSS officer drew his service weapon and fired five times at the defendant. The defendant fell to the ground, was restrained by law enforcement, and was placed under arrest. The defendant suffered a minor injury to his knee but was not shot.”

Allen was subdued near the ballroom, where President Trump, Vice President Vance and others were rushed to safety by U.S. Secret Service agents.

At a news conference earlier this week, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche provided a timeline of events leading up to the hotel shooting. Allen traveled by train April 21 form Los Angeles to Chicago, then Chicago to Washington, D.C., where he arrived April 24 and checked into the hotel at about 1 p.m., Blanche said.

Federal authorities were in the Torrance neighborhood where Allen lived over the weekend. Neighbors said they were asked questions about Allen, who attended Pacific Lutheran High School in Gardena before the prestigious California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

The FBI confirmed that a search warrant was served in the South Bay community.

Moments before the attack, Allen sent family members a note with an apology to his parents, colleagues, students, bystanders and others for what he was about to do, according to a transcript of some of Allen’s writings provided to NBC News by a senior administration official.

“I don’t expect forgiveness,” Allen wrote. “Again, my sincere apologies.”

How could the suspect’s ties to Southern California be used in court and the investigation? Eric Leonard reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, 2026.

The note was critical of President Trump without mentioning him by name. He also wrote about security at the hotel, outside of which President Reagan was shot in 1981.

A senior administration official confirmed Allen’s brother contacted a police department in Connecticut about the note.

Allen graduated from the Caltech in 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. The school confirmed it had a record of a student named Cole Allen who graduated in 2017.

After graduating from Caltech, Allen worked as a mechanical engineer for a year before becoming an independent video game developer and working part-time at C2 Education, a company that helps high school students enter college, according to the LinkedIn profile.

“We were shocked to hear the news of the horrifying incident that transpired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” C2 Education said in a statement. “We are cooperating fully with law enforcement to assist them in their investigation. Violence of any kind is never the answer.”

In May 2025, Allen obtained a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, according the LinkedIn profile. In a statement, Cal State Dominguez Hills said it had a student by the same name who graduated from the school in 2025, but could not confirm he was the suspect in Saturday’s shooting.

“Such acts betray our values as a university and our commitment to fostering a safe environment for our campus communities,” the school said said.