• 31-year-old Cole Allen attempted to kill President Trump at the White House Correspondents' dinner.
• He took a photo with a knife just minutes before breaching security at the Washington Hilton.
• Authorities found pre-set emails suggesting premeditated intent to attack.

Cole Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, faces serious charges for attempting to storm the White House Correspondents' Association dinner and assassinate US President Donald Trump. Just minutes before the attack, he took a photograph of himself in his hotel room, where he was equipped with an ammunition bag, a shoulder gun holster, and a sheathed knife, according to court filings by prosecutors. This incident occurred on a Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, where Trump was present alongside hundreds of journalists and officials, according to Indiatimes, South China Morning Post, and Channel News Asia.

Allen reportedly attempted to breach security barricades near the ballroom entrance and fired his shotgun during this attempt, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents guarding the event. A Secret Service officer wearing a bullet-resistant vest was shot but survived, and Trump was unharmed, being evacuated shortly after the incident began, according to Indiatimes, South China Morning Post, and Channel News Asia.

In court filings, prosecutors revealed that Allen had checked online for updates regarding Trump's movements that night, including live coverage as the president arrived at the hotel. Additionally, Allen had pre-scheduled emails labeled 'Apology and Explanation,' suggesting a degree of premeditation in his assault plan, according to Indiatimes, South China Morning Post, and Channel News Asia.

Defense attorneys for Allen highlighted that he has no prior criminal record and asserted that he should be presumed innocent. However, Assistant US Attorney Charles Jones argued that Allen poses a significant risk to public safety if released, citing the calculated nature of the attack. Trump, who was later seen at the White House still in his tuxedo, referred to Allen as a "lone wolf," indicating a troubling trend of violence against high-profile individuals, according to Indiatimes, South China Morning Post, and Channel News Asia.