Newly released security footage has pulled back the curtain on the moments leading up to the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, revealing a curious detail previously missing from official court records.
The video, made public Thursday by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, shows a police canine appearing to follow 31-year-old suspect Cole Allen into a side room just seconds before the chaos erupted.
The nearly six-minute compilation shows Allen, a former teacher from Torrance, California, navigating the Hilton Hotel. In one segment from April 25 at approximately 8:36 p.m., Allen is seen entering a side room shortly before reaching the security magnetometers.
As he ducks inside, a police dog on a leash is seen following him into the same room until the handler pulls the animal back. This specific interaction was notably absent from the initial criminal complaint and the FBI’s supporting affidavit.
In a statement accompanying the video’s release, Pirro addressed the gravity of the incident and the ongoing legal proceedings.
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“We are releasing video already provided to U.S. District Court showing Cole Allen shoot a U.S. Secret Service officer during his attempt to assassinate the President at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” Pirro stated. She also clarified that there is “no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly fire” and noted that the footage captured Allen “casing” the venue the previous day.
According to the timeline established by the footage, Allen visited a workout facility in the hotel at 9:00 p.m. on April 24. The video then jumps to the following evening, showing Allen dressed in a long black coat.
Evidence presented in court, including selfies Allen reportedly took in a mirror, shows him armed with a semiautomatic pistol in a shoulder holster, three knives, and a bag of ammunition.
Allen, a Caltech graduate who traveled to Washington, D.C., via train from Los Angeles, appeared in court this past Monday.
He currently faces several federal charges, including the attempted assassination of the President, discharging a firearm during a violent crime, and interstate transportation of firearms with the intent to commit violence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI have confirmed that the investigation remains active as they work to bring the case to trial.
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