1. Incident Overview at Washington Hilton
Court documents describe a serious security breach during the White House Correspondents Dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington DC.
According to prosecutors, Allen allegedly entered the venue carrying a semi automatic handgun, a pump action shotgun, and multiple knives. He is accused of moving past a security checkpoint before the attack unfolded.
During the event, high level officials including the president, vice president JD Vance, cabinet members, and White House staff were quickly evacuated after gunfire was reported inside the hotel ballroom.
A Secret Service agent was injured during the incident but did not suffer life threatening wounds.
2. Alleged Activity Before the Attack
New filings claim Allen took selfies inside his hotel room at around 20:03 Eastern Standard Time.
Prosecutors say he was wearing formal clothing and carrying items including a shoulder holster, pliers, and wire cutters. Authorities later recovered these items.
The documents also state that he spent about thirty minutes checking online coverage of the dinner and monitoring the president’s attendance before leaving his room.
3. Movement Toward the Ballroom
Investigators allege Allen left his room and moved toward the ballroom where the dinner was being held.
He reportedly discarded a long black coat that had concealed the pump action shotgun.
Prosecutors claim he then rushed toward a security checkpoint on the terrace level of the hotel.
They state he sprinted through a metal detector while holding the shotgun in both hands.
4. Alleged Travel Notes and Behavior
The filing also describes notes found on Allen’s phone. These notes reportedly included personal observations made during his cross country travel from California to Washington DC.
One entry described scenery in the southwestern desert and wind turbines seen along the route.
Authorities argue these notes show planned movement and awareness during the trip.
5. Prosecutors Argument for Continued Detention
Prosecutors describe the alleged actions as planned, violent, and intentional.
They argue that releasing Allen before trial would pose a serious risk to public safety.
The filing states that no combination of conditions would reasonably guarantee community safety if he were released.
Allen faces life imprisonment if convicted on the charges.
