Cole Tomas Allen has been charged with attempted assassination of President Donald Trump after authorities said the suspect tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington with guns and knives, triggering an exchange of gunfire and causing Trump to be hurried off stage unharmed, the Associated Press reported. Allen appeared in court Monday to face the federal charges after the chaotic Saturday encounter disrupted one of Washington’s highest-profile annual events, where hundreds of journalists and their guests were inside.
Prosecutors said the attack began early in the dinner when Allen, authorities allege, attempted to race past a security barricade near the ballroom. Secret Service agents tasked with safeguarding the event exchanged fire with Allen during the confrontation, according to the AP. Questions remained afterward about the number of shots fired by Allen and how many were discharged by officers.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference that the Justice Department would pursue the case using a fair and consistent approach. “Violence has no place in civic life,” Blanche said. He also said “It cannot and will not be used to disrupt democratic institutions or intimidate those who serve them, and it certainly cannot continue to be used against the president of the United States.” Blanche added: “We are investigating this matter fully, we will apply the law fairly and we will ensure that accountability is swift and certain.”
Allen was ordered to remain jailed pending further court proceedings, and prosecutors said the attempted assassination count carries a possible life sentence. Officials told reporters that Allen was injured during the attack but was not shot. A Secret Service officer was injured and was struck while wearing a bullet-resistant vest, officials said, and the officer survived.
Investigators said an FBI affidavit filed in the case describes alleged planning behind the assault. The affidavit alleges that on April 6, Allen reserved a room for himself at the Washington hotel where the dinner would be held weeks later, and that he traveled from California by train last week, checking himself into the Washington Hilton one day before the dinner. Authorities also said Allen carried a 12-gauge pump action shotgun he bought last year and a .38 caliber semi-automatic pistol purchased in 2023.
Federal prosecutors also charged Allen with two additional firearms counts, including discharging a weapon during a crime of violence, but the AP reported that the affidavit does not allege that Allen was responsible for shooting the Secret Service agent. Blanche told reporters investigators believed a Secret Service agent fired five shots and that Allen discharged his shotgun at least once, but he did not say whether authorities had confirmed it was Allen’s bullet that struck the agent in the vest, or whether any other officers used their weapons. Ballistics experts, Blanche said, were still examining evidence to provide more clarity on what happened.
After the incident, the dinner was canceled, and the AP reported it marked the first time Trump attended the event as president. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the night was meant to be one of joy but was “hijacked by a crazed anti-Trump individual who traveled across the country to assassinate the president and as many administration officials as possible.”
Allen invoked his constitutional right to remain silent after his arrest, but authorities said an email he sent to family members and a former employer just before the attack helped shed light on motive. The AP reported that in the message, included as part of an FBI affidavit, Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and alluded to grievances involving actions taken by the Trump administration. The email described mixed sentiments, including apologies and farewells, while also trying to explain the attack.
A magistrate judge granted prosecutors’ request to keep Allen locked up pending additional hearings, the AP reported, with a detention hearing set for Thursday. One of Allen’s lawyers, Tezira Abe, said during the appearance that he has no criminal record and that he is presumed innocent.