WASHINGTON, April 28 — A man accused of trying to open fire on a media gala attended by Donald Trump in Washington this weekend was charged in court Monday with trying to assassinate the Republican president.
Cole Allen, 31, faces a sentence of up to life in prison if convicted of attempting to kill Trump during the White House Correspondents Association dinner at a hotel in the capital.
Allen, who wore a blue jumpsuit, was also charged with two firearms crimes. He did not enter a plea at the hearing in a federal court and was detained, pending his next court appearance.
Prosecutors told the Washington court that Allen was carrying a pump-action shotgun, a semi-automatic pistol and three knives when he tried to break through security at the Hilton, where the annual WHCA dinner has taken place for decades.
Several shots were fired before Allen was subdued in a chaotic encounter near a checkpoint. Allen never got close to Trump or the other guests attending the large-scale dinner event on a lower floor.
The California man’s attack was the third attempt on 79-year-old Trump’s life in two years.
The White House has blamed a “left-wing cult of hatred” for inciting violence, singling out Democratic politicians who have accused Trump of trying to amass authoritarian powers.
Trump himself routinely breaks precedent with insults against opponents, the media, judges, foreign leaders and the head of the central bank.
Bulletproof vest
On Saturday, Trump was rushed out of the venue by Secret Service agents after the sound of gunshots erupted.
Video footage showed the gunman sprinted past a first line of security. No one was killed, but a bullet struck one agent’s bulletproof vest, officials say.
In a CBS interview on Sunday evening, Trump was asked if he feared there would be casualties as Washington’s government and media elite ducked for cover at the black-tie dinner downstairs.
“I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world,” Trump said.
Crowded into the venue were Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, several cabinet members and top lawmakers and hundreds of guests.
Authorities say that shortly before the incident, Allen sent an email to family members explaining and apologising for his actions.
He did not mention Trump by name, but said, “I am no longer willing to permit a paedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”
Allen went on to say that “administration officials” are “targets, prioritised from highest-ranking to lowest.”
Trump attacks comedian
On Monday, Trump called for comedian Jimmy Kimmel to be fired for saying his 56-year-old wife Melania Trump had “a glow like an expectant widow” in a joke made a couple days before Saturday’s incident. Trump called the joke “despicable.”
The First Lady also lashed out at Kimmel, calling on US broadcaster ABC to “take a stand” against the late-night host.
Trump has praised the actions of Secret Service agents, but also said the hotel venue was “not a particularly secure” facility as questions swirled about the president’s safety protocols.
On Sunday, Trump used the shooting to again push for the construction of a massive ballroom next to the White House. The project faces legal challenges and has sparked widespread public criticism for being too big and the lack of consultation.
The White House Correspondents Association’s annual dinners – a private, not government, event – have been hosted at the Hilton hotel for decades without incident. The association always invites sitting presidents to attend, but Saturday was the first time Trump had accepted.
Trump was the target of an assassination attempt during a presidential campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024. A gunman fired several shots, killing an audience member and lightly wounding the president in the ear.
A few months later, another armed man was arrested on a West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing a round. — AFP
WASHINGTON, April 26 — The man arrested over the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from the Los Angeles area, according to a law enforcement official cited by Reuters.
Allen is believed to be a resident of Torrance, a coastal city in California’s South Bay region near Los Angeles.
Authorities are still working to establish a motive. The chief of the District of Columbia police department said investigators believe Allen had been a guest at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual dinner was being held when the shooting occurred.
Social media and online profiles linked to Allen suggest he has an academic and technical background. A LinkedIn page in his name describes him as a “mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth.”
According to the profile, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017, and later obtained a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2025. Caltech said a person with that name did graduate in 2017.
His listed work experience includes several years as a part-time teacher with C2 Education, a private tutoring and test-preparation provider, alongside work as a self-employed game developer. He was also reportedly named “Teacher of the Month” by the company’s Torrance branch in December 2024.
Earlier roles included a stint as a mechanical engineer at IJK Controls in South Pasadena, as well as a teaching assistant position during his time at Caltech.
Other details on the profile include participation in a robotics competition at Caltech in 2016, and an interest in “Science and Technology” listed under personal causes.
The United States Secret Service said Allen was armed with a shotgun and was detained after allegedly opening fire at an agent inside the Washington Hilton Hotel, just outside the ballroom where the event was attended by President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other senior officials.
No dignitaries were reported injured in the incident. Investigations are ongoing.
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