Pellet Links Allen to WHCD Attack; Harsher Jail Conditions Noted

A buckshot pellet found in a Secret Service agent's vest has been confirmed to originate from the weapon used by Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner attack. According to Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, this evidence definitively links Allen to the shooting that occurred during the dinner on April 25.

Allen, a 31-year-old computer scientist from Torrance, California, allegedly ran through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton where the dinner was held and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent. He has been charged with attempted assassination of President Trump, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegally transporting guns and ammunition across state lines.

Pirro emphasized that Allen's actions were premeditated and targeted towards killing the president. She cited evidence showing Allen tracked the president's movements on his phone and had detailed knowledge of the dinner schedule. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated that more charges are expected against Allen in the coming week.

Allen has been removed from suicide watch at the Washington, D.C., jail where he is being held, according to court documents filed by his defense team. His attorneys argued that the restrictions violated his due process rights and hindered his ability to prepare for his defense.

A federal judge noted that Allen is under harsher jail conditions than defendants in Jan. 6, 2021, attack criminal cases. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui expressed concern that Allen had been placed under suicide watch and had restrictions imposed without a finding that he was at risk for suicide and without having a criminal history.