Updated April 27, 2026: Federal charges filed Monday total three counts, not two as originally reported. The text below reflects the verified charging document; see the linked DOJ press release in the Sources block.
A 31-year-old California man armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives rushed the security checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night, exchanged gunfire with law enforcement, and was tackled to the ground. President Trump, Vice President Vance, and first lady Melania Trump were evacuated from the ballroom. A Secret Service officer was shot in the chest. He was protected by a vest and released from a local hospital later that night.
Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, is now in federal custody. The Justice Department’s charging document filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia lists three counts: attempt to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, who announced the charges, said further counts are expected.
Allen appeared in federal court Monday.
What Allen told investigators
After his arrest, Allen told law enforcement he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials, according to reporting from multiple outlets citing people familiar with the matter. He did not name a specific target.
He had no prior criminal record and was not previously known to law enforcement in Washington.
From Caltech to a tutoring job
Allen graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. A LinkedIn profile matching his name and photo described him as a part-time teacher at C2 Education, a national test prep and tutoring company. The firm named him “teacher of the month” in December 2024.
Law enforcement officials said it remains under investigation how Allen gained access to the Washington Hilton’s perimeter area Saturday night. Investigators are examining whether he had planned to attend as a guest.
Trump speaks at the White House
Returning to the White House still in his tuxedo, Trump held a press conference roughly two hours after the incident. He called Allen a “lone wolf whack job” and praised the agents who confronted him.
“When you’re impactful, they go after you,” Trump said. “When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone.”
Trump posted video on social media of Allen sprinting past security guards as agents drew their weapons. “They seem to think he was a lone wolf, and I feel that too,” he said.
What’s next
Monday’s court appearance is expected to include a detention hearing. The U.S. Attorney’s office has indicated additional charges are coming.
The Metropolitan Police Department and Secret Service are jointly leading the investigation. The agency is conducting that investigation while operating under funding pressure from the prolonged Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which has left Secret Service emergency reserves nearly spent. Security protocols at the annual dinner, which draws Washington’s press corps and senior administration officials to the same venue each year, are expected to face scrutiny.
Sources 6 cited · 2 primary
- Suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting Charged with Attempt to Assassinate the President
- Suspected correspondents' dinner gunman is charged with trying to assassinate Trump
- What we know about the suspect in shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner
- Details emerge of alleged shooter at White House correspondents' dinner
- What we know about Cole Tomas Allen, suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting
- Charging documents in White House correspondents' dinner shooting case
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