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The legal team representing Cole Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner shooting, has retracted a motion to take him off suicide watch. This decision followed the revelation that the precautionary measure had already been lifted. Consequently, the attorneys have requested the court to cancel a hearing originally set for Monday, stating that it is no longer necessary.
In their recent court filing, Allen’s lawyers explained they had just discovered that their client was no longer under suicide watch at the D.C. Jail. This development rendered their previous motion obsolete, leading them to ask for the scheduled hearing on May 4 to be vacated.
Despite the request from Allen’s attorneys to cancel Monday’s hearing, it remains on the docket until a judge makes a final decision.
Being on suicide watch entails a 24-hour lockdown in a specially designed “safe cell” to prevent self-harm.
An image shows Cole Allen in a hotel room prior to the attempted assassination of President Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. (Courtesy of the Justice Department)
Prior to Sunday afternoon’s developments, Allen’s attorneys had argued that the restriction violated his rights.
“Such restrictions deprive Mr. Allen from accessing resources like a jail tablet, which would permit him to communicate with loved ones outside of the jail,” the defense motion states. “Similarly, because Mr. Allen is not permitted to retain personal items while in the cell, it is counsel’s understanding that he cannot review documents that counsel leave with him, thus hindering his ability to assist in his own defense.”
The defense argued in the motion that being kept on the suicide precaution “is unnecessary” and violates Allen’s due process rights “by depriving him of dignity” by forcing him to be escorted to the shower, strip searched when leaving or entering his cell, and required to wear a padded vest while in the cell.
Law enforcement personnel detain Cole Tomas Allen, a suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2026. (Donald J Trump via Truth Social/Handout via Reuters)
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told CNN on Sunday that prosecutors would bring the case before a grand jury this week and suggested they’re working toward securing an indictment with additional charges.
Allen, a 31-year-old California computer scientist, is accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 25 after allegedly rushing a Secret Service checkpoint while armed with multiple weapons.
Cole Allen wearing a graduation gown after obtaining his master’s degree in 2025, left. A Secret Service agent fires at Cole Allen, suspected in the assassination attempt of President Donald Trump on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Cole Allen/LinkedIn; Obtained by The Washington Post)
Allen now faces federal charges, including the attempted assassination of the president, with more expected.
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