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Washington DC: Cole Tomas Allen took a chilling mirror selfie around 30 minutes before unleashing gunfire at the Washington Hilton Hotel during a deadly mission to assassinate US President Donald Trump at the high-profile White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday night.

The selfie, released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), showed Allen wearing a black dress shirt, black slacks, and what appears to be a red necktie tucked into his pants. He was seen capturing a picture of himself in the mirror at his room in Washington Hilton Hotel.

An enhanced version of the image showed him wearing a small leather bag, with firearms, a shoulder holster, a sheathed knife and pliers and wire cutters strapped to his body.

Detailing the actions of the shooter minutes before the attack, the DOJ revealed, “At approximately 8:03 p.m., while back inside his hotel room, the defendant used his cellphone to take a photograph of himself in the mirror…At about 8:27 p.m, just minutes before the attack, the defendant used his cellphone to visit a media company’s website and accessed the video, WATCH LIVE: President Trump, first lady en route to White House Correspondents’ Dinner.” 

He also visited another website to view live media coverage of the President exiting his vehicle to attend the gala dinner. Less than one minute later, the defendant searched ‘trump white house correspondents dinner’ on a web search engine. Thereafter, he sent a manifesto to his family, apologising to them and detailing the reasons behind his action.

Thereafter, the defendant rushed the screening checkpoint on the Terrace Level of the Washington Hilton with a raised shotgun, attempting to breach the barricades near the ballroom that was packed with hundreds of journalists and high-profile guests.

Video from inside the ballroom captured at least five loud bangs before armed officers rushed in and escorted the president and others to safety. "Get down!" and "Stay down!" screams echoed throughout the room as guests, including high-ranking officials and journalists, ducked to avoid the bullets. Several were seen taking cover under tables to protect themselves.

Allen was arrested from the venue by Secret Service agents.

At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of a Mossberg 12-gauge pump action shotgun with one spent cartridge in the barrel and eight unfired cartridges in the magazine tube. An additional six unfired cartridges were attached with Velcro to the shotgun in a detachable ammunition carrier, and the defendant possessed another ten unfired cartridges in a small leather bag. 

He was also in possession of a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38 caliber pistol loaded with ten rounds of ammunition. He also had two additional handgun magazines, each containing nine rounds of ammunition. He also possessed two knives, four daggers, multiple sheaths, multiple holsters, needle nose pliers, wire cutters, and a Samsung cellphone.

Allen has been charged with multiple offences, including attempted assassination of the US President.

Detailing the motive behind his action, Cole Allen wrote in a manifesto that he is a “citizen of the United States of America" and what his political representatives do, reflects on him.

He added that he was no longer willing to permit “a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.” “Well, to be completely honest, I was no longer willing a long time ago, but this is the first real opportunity I’ve had to do something about it,” he further said.