Court Appearance Set for Suspect in Trump Press Dinner Shooting Case
WASHINGTON — A California man accused of storming the White House Correspondents’ Dinner with guns and explosives was set to appear in federal court Monday, facing charges that he attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump and senior administration officials in what would have been the third attempt on the president’s life in two years.
The suspect, identified by multiple sources as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, allegedly opened fire near a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel on Saturday night before being subdued by Secret Service agents. The chaotic scene unfolded just one floor above the ballroom where Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and hundreds of guests in black tie had gathered for the annual gala.
Allen remains in the custody of D.C. police after being released from an area hospital overnight, where he was treated for injuries sustained during his arrest. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that Allen was not cooperating with investigators, but that preliminary evidence suggested he had deliberately targeted top officials.
“He’s a sick guy”
Trump, who was rushed out of the ballroom by Secret Service agents, described Allen as a “lone wolf” with “very serious mental problems”. In a series of television interviews Sunday, the president said the suspect had written what Trump called an “anti-Christian manifesto” that outlined his hostility toward Trump administration officials.
“When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians,” Trump told Fox News. He added that Allen’s relatives had previously contacted law enforcement to express concerns about his increasingly unstable views.
Investigators also recovered a handwritten message that Allen shared with his family shortly before the attack, in which he reportedly stated that his targets would be “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest”. According to authorities, Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.
Inside the Hilton
Surveillance footage released by Trump shows Allen dressed in black, sprinting past a security checkpoint with a weapon drawn before agents turned and pursued him. An exchange of gunfire followed. One Secret Service officer was struck in the chest but survived due to a bulletproof vest, Trump said.
Cellphone video captured the moment of panic inside the ballroom, where guests — including journalists, lawmakers, and cabinet members — dove under tables as agents swarmed the venue.
Trump initially thought the gunfire sound was a dropped tray. In an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” he admitted he slowed his own evacuation to evaluate the scene. “It was a little bit me,” he said, while acknowledging the bravery of the agents surrounding him.
A Pattern of Threats
The incident marked at least the third documented attempt on Trump’s life in two years. In July 2024, a gunman opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one attendee and grazing the president’s ear. Months later, authorities arrested an armed man who had positioned himself outside a West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing.
Saturday’s attack occurred at the same Washington Hilton hotel where President Ronald Reagan was shot by a would-be assassin in 1981. Trump noted the historical parallel and used the episode to renew his push for a new White House ballroom project, arguing that the Hilton had proven itself “not a particularly secure” venue.
Allen has not yet entered a plea. Formal charges are expected to be presented at Monday’s arraignment, which will take place before a federal magistrate judge in Washington, D.C. Officials said the investigation remains ongoing, with no evidence suggesting the suspect was connected to any broader conspiracy.
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