• Source:JND

US federal prosecutors on Thursday released surveillance footage showing Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect, breaching security checkpoints and opening fire as he moved toward the ballroom where Donald Trump was attending the April 25 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The visuals, shared by Washington’s top federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro, have surfaced as investigators try to determine how a Secret Service officer was injured during the encounter. While officials earlier confirmed the officer was struck in a protective vest, there has been ongoing debate over whether Allen’s gunfire caused the injury.

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According to Pirro, the footage supports the prosecution’s claim that Allen fired at the officer during an attempted attack on the president, dismissing speculation about friendly fire. The material has already been submitted in court proceedings.

“Today, we are releasing a video already provided to the US District Court showing Cole Allen shoot a US Secret Service officer during his attempt to assassinate the President at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. There is no evidence that the shooting was the result of friendly fire. The video also shows Allen casing the area in the Hilton Hotel the day before the attack. My office, along with the @FBI, will continue this extensive investigation to bring Cole Allen to justice,” Pirro said, while sharing the video. 

The sequence shows security personnel engaging the suspect within seconds as he advanced toward the ballroom, prompting a rapid response that prevented him from getting any closer to the gathering of over 2,000 attendees.

Gunfire Exchange

The video shows Allen shooting at a police officer, who immediately returned fire several times. However, the footage does not clearly show who was struck by Allen’s bullet or where it landed. Police and Secret Service agents rapidly moved in, with additional responders streaming out of the ballroom as they worked to restrain and arrest Allen during the chaos. 

US President Donald Trump and the head of the Secret Service said on Thursday the federal agent ‌injured during the attack at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner had not been hit by friendly fire. 

“The ⁠suspect was not hit by the agent's fire, but fell to the ground after hitting his knee,” Reuters quoted Secret Service Director Sean Curran.

Separate clips also indicate that Allen had been inside the hotel a day earlier, and was staying there, as he appeared to familiarise himself with the layout, a detail investigators believe points to prior planning. He was seen spending around two minutes at the venue’s gym a day before the shooting incident. 

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Trump Event Shooter Remains In Custody

Allen, a 31-year-old from California who worked as a tutor and developed video games part-time, remains in custody and has yet to enter a plea. He referred to himself as a "Friendly Federal Assassin" and alluded obliquely to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions. 

Prosecutors allege he carried multiple weapons and gear at the time of the incident and now faces charges including attempted assassination, which could result in a life sentence if proven in court.

Meanwhile, Secret Service officials have defended their security setup, stating that the suspect was intercepted at the outermost checkpoint, far from the main venue, within a layered protection system designed to shield the president.

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