WASHINGTON — A 31-year-old California man was charged Monday with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump after he tried to breach a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner while armed with multiple weapons, federal prosecutors said.
Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, faces three federal charges in U.S. District Court in Washington: attempted assassination of 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, according to court proceedings and the Justice Department.
The incident occurred Saturday night, April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., where Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other senior administration officials were attending the annual dinner. Gunshots were fired near the main security screening area as Allen allegedly charged past a checkpoint carrying a semi-automatic handgun, a pump-action shotgun and three knives, prosecutors said.
Secret Service agents rushed Trump and other dignitaries from the event. Guests took cover under tables amid the chaos, and the dinner was disrupted. One Secret Service agent was shot but protected by a bulletproof vest and sustained no serious injury, officials said. Allen was taken into custody at the scene. Details on any other injuries remain limited.
Allen appeared in federal court Monday and did not enter a plea. He was ordered held pending further proceedings. If convicted on the attempted assassination charge, he could face life in prison, prosecutors have indicated.
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine told the court that Allen “attempted to assassinate the president of the United States,” according to reports from the hearing.
Authorities have said the attack appeared planned for at least several weeks. Court papers and law enforcement statements described Allen carrying the weapons with the intent to target the president during the high-profile event, which was the first White House Correspondents' Dinner Trump attended as a sitting president in his current term.
Investigators recovered writings sent by Allen to family members shortly before the incident in which he expressed grievances against Trump administration policies, according to officials and media reports citing the materials. He had also posted anti-Trump content on social media, though specific details of his full motive remain under investigation by the FBI and other agencies.
The White House Correspondents' Association dinner typically draws journalists, politicians and other Washington figures. Saturday’s event featured mentalist Oz Pearlman as entertainer and drew about 2,600 attendees.
No further details on Allen’s background or potential accomplices have been released. Federal authorities have not commented on any links to broader groups or ideologies beyond the evidence gathered so far.
As of Tuesday, Allen remained in custody. The investigation continues, with the Secret Service and FBI leading security and probe efforts related to the breach.
