Suspect took selfies before White House correspondents' dinner shooting

The suspect accused of opening fire outside the White House correspondents' association dinner took selfies with weapons before the attack, newly released files appear to show.

The photos, which form part of a court filing by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), show Cole Allen, 31, dressed in black with a red tie.

Prosecutors say the images show Allen with a sheathed knife, a shoulder holster and what appears to be an ammunition-filled bag.

Allen took the photo of himself at about 8.03pm EDT on Saturday, about half an hour before he is accused of having rushed through the screening checkpoint with a raised shotgun.

He's been charged with one count of attempted assassination of the president, interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime.

The filing also claims that he tracked the president and first lady's movements via websites and live coverage from media companies of the event.

The DOJ also included photos of weapons, including a handgun and a shotgun, which they say were possessed by Allen when he was arrested.

The filing states that: "At some point before the attack, the defendant wrote emails explaining the actions he was about to take and scheduled those emails to be sent to specific people at approximately 8.30pm on 25 April - just minutes before the defendant, laden with weapons, sprinted through the screening checkpoint toward the dinner."

"Had the defendant achieved his intended outcome, he would have brought about one of the darkest days in American history," assistant US attorney Charles Jones wrote.

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After Allen allegedly rushed past a metal detector, a Secret Service agent "drew his service weapon and fired five times at the defendant," the prosecutor wrote.

"The defendant fell to the ground, was restrained by law enforcement and was placed under arrest," Jones added.

"The defendant suffered a minor injury to his knee but was not shot."

Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and senior officials were quickly evacuated to safety from the annual event after several gunshots were heard outside the Washington Hilton ballroom, where around 2,500 people were in attendance.

(c) Sky News 2026: Suspect took selfies before White House correspondents' dinner shooting