PoliticsWHCD Shooting Suspect Cole Tomas Allen No Longer on Suicide Watch, Says Lawyer
The defense team of WHCD shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen demanded their client be taken off suicide watch.
May 4 2026, Published 12:09 p.m. ET
Cole Tomas Allen, the 31-year-old computer scientist from California who allegedly tried to assassinate President Donald Trump and his associates at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, has been removed from suicide watch at the Washington, D.C., jail as of Sunday, May 3.
Allen’s Defense attorneys confirmed in court filings that he was taken off suicide status, withdrawing an emergency motion to end the restrictions since the issue became moot.
Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui declined to cancel a related hearing, citing "grave concerns" regarding the inmate's solitary confinement and overall conditions.
The suspect is no longer on suicide watch, his lawyer reveal.
They stated the severe conditions — including wearing a padded vest, continuous strip searches, and zero access to personal or legal documents — prevented him from properly participating in his own defense.
“These conditions are excessive restrictions on his liberty that serve no justifiable purpose and deprive Mr. Allen of dignity while incarcerated,” the defense concluded.
Allen agreed to waive his right to challenge his detention on Thursday and will remain jailed without bond until his trial, scheduled for May 11.
The suspect rushed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton.
Prosecutors state that Allen rushed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton, shooting and injuring a U.S. Secret Service agent before being apprehended.
Allen’s “placement on suicide watch and suicide precautions amount to violations of his rights,” according to their filing.
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He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
He faces counts of attempted assassination of the president, interstate transport of a firearm to commit a felony, and discharging a weapon during a crime of violence. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
The Department of Justice released security footage showing Allen calmly walking through the Washington Hilton hallway to scout the location 24 hours before the attack.
Additional footage captures Allen sprinting past a security checkpoint with a shotgun.
Prosecutors published a selfie Allen took in his hotel room roughly 30 minutes before the incident. The photo shows him wearing an ammunition bag, a shoulder holster and a sheathed knife.
Pirro publicly dismissed reports that the agent was hit by accidental law enforcement fire.
Investigators revealed that Allen used his phone to track live updates of Trump's movements arriving at the hotel just before attempting to breach security.
Jeanine Pirro, the former Fox News host turned U.S. attorney handling the case, stated that ballistics testing confirmed a buckshot pellet from Allen's shotgun was found in a Secret Service agent's protective vest.
Pirro publicly dismissed reports that the agent was hit by accidental law enforcement fire. The agent was struck but uninjured due to protective gear.
