Armed Suspect Targets Trump Officials at White House Correspondents' Dinner
Cole Allen, 31, armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives, charged a security checkpoint at the WHCD Saturday night. Secret Service agents tackled him before he could reach the ballroom where President Trump and cabinet officials dined.
Cole Tomas Allen brought a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives to the White House Correspondents' Dinner with the intent to kill Trump administration officials, federal law enforcement sources confirmed Sunday morning.
The 31-year-old teacher from California charged a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton Saturday night and opened fire on a Secret Service officer. Agents tackled Allen before he could reach the ballroom where President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sat at the head table.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC's "Meet the Press" that investigators believe Allen "set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president."
Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich reported the White House shared Allen's written manifesto with her, stating it "clearly stated he wanted to target administration officials."
Allen fired between five and eight rounds Saturday evening, striking a Secret Service officer in his bulletproof vest from close range. The officer survived and was released from a local hospital. Trump described the attack during a press conference: "A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of Secret Service." Agents evacuated Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President Vance, Secretary Rubio, and Defense Secretary Hegseth from the ballroom.
Allen graduated from Caltech with a mechanical engineering degree in 2017 and earned a master's in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills in May 2025. He worked part-time as a teacher at C2 Education and developed video games, including one called "Bohrdom."
He booked a room at the Washington Hilton in early April, then traveled from California to Chicago to D.C. by train before checking in Friday, April 24. A volunteer witness said Allen assembled a long weapon in his unsecured hotel room before the attack.
His brother in Connecticut alerted police after receiving a manifesto Allen sent to family members. Federal Election Commission records show Allen donated $25 to ActBlue earmarked for Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential campaign in October 2024. He registered as a no-party-preference voter and belonged to a group called "The Wide Awakes." Family members told investigators Allen attended a "No Kings" anti-Trump protest in California. Authorities found anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on his social media accounts.
His sister told investigators Allen "had a tendency to make radical statements" and his rhetoric "constantly referenced a plan to do 'something' to fix the issues with today's world." She said he bought two handguns and a shotgun at his parents' home without their knowledge and regularly trained at firing ranges.
Neighbors in Torrance, California, described the Allen family as "peaceful," "friendly," and "nice." A former high school volleyball teammate called Allen a "borderline genius" and "the most gentle person on the team." CSUDH professor Bin Tang said Allen was "soft spoken, very polite, a good fellow." Torrance Mayor George K. Chen condemned the violence, stating the city "stands firmly against political violence, extremism, and acts of hatred in any form."
The attack exposed glaring security failures at an event attended by the president and his cabinet. The White House Correspondents' Association Dinner traditionally relies on an invitation and a single magnetometer at the ballroom entrance. Security was "essentially an invitation from the White House Correspondents Association and a single metal detector," according to Washington Times correspondent John T. Seward.
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who attended the dinner, said, "Having attended a lot of events — and certainly having attended events with the president and cabinet — (security was) woefully insufficient when you're talking about that many people getting into a room of that size."
Trump struck a defiant tone after the shooting. "I can't be concerned. I can only get great people," he said during his press conference. "They did the job, a much, in my opinion, a much better job than Butler." The president said he "fought like hell to stay" at the dinner but deferred to Secret Service protocol. He praised the agent who was shot, saying, "He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job. I just spoke to the officer, and he's doing great."
Trump used the incident to argue for his planned $400 million White House ballroom with enhanced security features. "It's not a particularly secure building," Trump said of the Washington Hilton. "This is why we have to have all of the attributes of what we're planning at the White House. It's actually a larger room, and it's much more secure. It's drone-proof, it's bulletproof glass."
Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee to the D.C. District Court, blocked above-ground construction of the ballroom on April 16. He wrote that Trump's team had "not provided any national security justification for why these features must be installed immediately." The attack occurred nine days after that ruling.
The Department of Homeland Security, which houses the Secret Service, has been left unfunded by Congress for 70 days following a reversal by Senate Democrats on a government funding agreement. The lapse has reportedly strained Secret Service resources and morale.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Allen faces one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of assault on a federal officer. "This individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could," Pirro said. She added that "many more charges" are expected, including potential terrorism charges. Allen's arraignment is scheduled for Monday, April 27.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn posted on X: "A coward attempted to create a national tragedy, but he had underestimated the protective capabilities of the U.S. Secret Service and was stopped at first contact." DC Interim Police Chief Jeff Carroll confirmed Allen appeared to be a "lone actor, a lone gunman."
Trump announced the White House Correspondents' Dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days. "When you're impactful, they go after you," he said. "When you're not impactful, they leave you alone."