Accused Gunman from White House Correspondents' Dinner Charged with Assassination Attempt
Cole Allen, the 31-year-old teacher from Torrance, California, who is accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend, has officially been charged.
Fox News posted about the charges on the social media site X, writing, “BREAKING: Suspect in WHCA Dinner shooting charged with 3 counts including attempting to assassinate the president of the United States.”
🚨 BREAKING: Suspect in WHCA Dinner shooting charged with 3 counts including attempting to assassinate the president of the United States
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 27, 2026
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche hinted Sunday that charges were coming when he told CNN’s Dana Bash that the alleged gunman, who tried to force his way through a security checkpoint at the WHCA gala, was not cooperating with law enforcement.
“We are not viewing him as cooperating right necessarily now, although we’ll see what happens going forward,” he said.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced late Saturday that Allen had been charged with using a firearm in a violent crime and assaulting a federal officer.
Allen had also reportedly boosted posts on the left-wing social media site BlueSky, calling for the president to be tried for high crimes.
Following several gunshots, Secret Service agents rushed the stage and whisked President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other top officials away to safety.
One officer was shot, but his bulletproof vest saved his life. He is expected to make a full recovery.
“He’s in great shape … has very high spirits, and we told him we love him and respect him,” Trump said.
“He’s a very proud guy,” the commander in chief added. “He’s very proud of what he does.”
Allen was eventually wrestled to the ground and taken into custody.
President Trump just posted video of Secret Service shooting at attempted assassin from the White House Correspondents’ dinner, allegedly Cole Allen, and photos of him. https://t.co/HKykZwT3Fe pic.twitter.com/UvJBIs3gsg
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) April 26, 2026
The dinner, which was being held at the Washington Hilton, will be rescheduled for sometime in the next 30 days, despite Trump’s desire to stay and carry on with the evening.
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