On April 25, 2026, shots rang out during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner held at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. The gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, has since been indicted on charges of attempting to assassinate the president as well as two weapons charges, including discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. No injuries or fatalities were reported following the shooting.
The Correspondents’ dinner is held annually to fundraise for the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), a nonprofit organization of journalists who fight for media access to the president and the White House and provide scholarships to aspiring reporters to promote journalism. The 2026 dinner was the first time Trump attended in either of his presidencies, after avoiding the event for years after being on the receiving end of jokes made by President Obama and Seth Meyers at the 2011 dinner.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his goal this year was to make the dinner into “the GREATEST, HOTTEST, and MOST SPECTACULAR DINNER, OF ANY KIND, EVER!”
According to the US Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, at around 8:40 p.m., Allen ran through the security checkpoint of the hotel with the intent of making it to the hotel’s ballroom, where the event was being held. While running, he shot a Secret Service agent’s protective vest, prompting multiple Secret Service agents to open fire. Allen was tackled and disarmed by the agents. He was then brought to Howard University Hospital to be treated for minor injuries before being taken into custody. Agents noted that Allen had a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38-caliber pistol with him during the attack. As this was taking place, Trump, along with several other high-ranking officials, was rushed out of the ballroom by Secret Service agents.
“Cole Allen traveled across the country with deadly weapons and a plan to assassinate the President of the United States. The swift and courageous response of the Secret Service officers prevented unimaginable tragedy. There is no room in this city for political violence,” Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said in an announcement following the shooting.
According to NBC News, Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, was working as a teacher after earning a degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology and a master’s in computer science from California State University – Dominguez Hills. During their investigation, authorities found a note written by Allen that denounces the Trump administration and features a list of Allen’s targets in the Trump administration who were attending the dinner.
Shortly before the shooting, Allen sent an email to his family and boss saying, “I wish I could have said anything earlier, but doing so would have made none of this possible. My sincerest apologies for all the trouble I’ve caused.” At the end of his email, Allen signed off as “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen.”
On Monday, April 27, Allen was charged with attempting to assassinate the president and is set to remain in jail while the case proceeds through additional court hearings. If he is convicted, he could face up to life in prison for the attempted assassination.
“Violence has no place in civic life. 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,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “We are investigating this matter fully, we will apply the law fairly and we will ensure that accountability is swift and certain.”
