Cole Tomas Allen, the Torrance man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at a Washington, D.C. hotel last weekend, is no longer on suicide status, according to his attorneys.
The 31-year-old’s lawyers filed a motion in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Saturday to have Allen released from suicide precautions, saying they violate his rights under the due process clause and that “he has exhibited no indications of suicidality.”
His defense team submitted a court filing Sunday afternoon to withdraw that request after learning Allen was no longer on suicide status, making the motion moot. In the latest filing, they also asked the judge to cancel a hearing that was slated for 9 a.m. Monday.
However, Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui decided to move forward with the hearing as scheduled, citing in a brief order concerns about the “seemingly unprompted solitary confinement for days and overall conditions of confinement.”
Allen’s lawyers said he was recommended for suicide watch — which is more strict than suicide precautions — after being assessed by a nurse on Tuesday. A day later, it was recommended that he be placed on precautions, according to the motion. The nurse recommended the next day Allen not be under either designation; however, his attorneys said that they believed he was still on precautions, prompting Saturday’s motion.
“Continued housing under suicide precautions is unnecessary and violates Mr. Allen’s due process rights by depriving him of dignity and access to resources inside the jail,” the defense attorneys wrote. “For these reasons, and any other such reasons as the Court may determine on a hearing on the motion, Mr. Allen requests the Court order the DOC to remove any and all suicide precautions.”
According to a footnote in Saturday’s court filing, Allen was being held in a D.C. Jail “safe cell,” described as a padded, constantly lit room with 24-hour lockdown procedures in place. It requires Allen to wear a vest similar to a straitjacket, be strip-searched when leaving and entering the room and not leave unless for legal or medical visits.
He was expected to be put in a regular cell by last Thursday or Friday, according to his defense team.
Investigators say the video shows Cole Tomas Allen casing the hotel the night before the dinner. Darsha Philips reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
Allen is accused of opening fire on April 25 outside the Washington Hilton Hotel’s ballroom, where Trump and other administration officials had gathered with journalists for the annual dinner. Allen, who was a registered guest at the hotel, was taken into custody after he rushed a security checkpoint with a Mossberg 12-gauge pump action shotgun, knives and ammunition, federal authorities said.
He was also charged with transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, as well as discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, according to the criminal complaint.
The tutor and engineer attended Pacific Lutheran High School in Gardena, California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and, according to his LinkedIn profile, California State University, Dominguez Hills.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
NBC News contributed to this report.