Cole Tomas Allen has been charged with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.
According to authorities, he tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with guns and knives, an attack that disrupted one of Washington’s glitziest events that had been planned for at least several weeks.
Cole Tomas Allen appeared in court to face federal charges after the chaotic encounter that resulted in shots being fired, Trump being hurried off the stage unharmed and guests ducking for cover underneath their tables.
An FBI affidavit filed in the case revealed additional details about the planning behind the assault, with authorities alleging that Allen on April 6 reserved a room for himself at the Washington hotel where the event would be held weeks later under its typical tight security. He traveled by train cross-country from California last week, checking himself into the Washington Hilton one day before the dinner with a room reserved for the weekend.
The dinner had barely begun when officials say the 31-year-old man tried to race past a security barricade near the cavernous ballroom holding hundreds of journalists and their guests, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents tasked with safeguarding the event. Allen carried with him a 12-gauge pump action shotgun he bought last year and a .38 caliber semi-automatic pistol he purchased in 2023, authorities said.
Allen was injured during the attack but was not shot. Officials say that a Secret Service officer was shot but was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and survived. Questions remain about how many shots Allen fired and how many officers discharged their weapons.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference that investigators believe that a Secret Service agent fired five shots and that Allen discharged his shotgun at least once. However, Blanche didn’t say whether authorities have confirmed it was Allen’s bullet that struck the agent in the vest, or whether any other officers used their weapons. Blanche said that ballistics experts are still examining evidence to provide more clarity on those questions.
The Justice Department charged Allen with two additional firearms counts, including discharging a weapon during a crime of violence, but the affidavit does not allege that Allen was responsible for shooting the agent.
The shooting resulted in the cancellation of the dinner, the first Trump had attended as President. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the night was supposed to be one of joy but instead 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 say an email he sent to family members and a former employer just before the attack helps to shed light on a motive.
In the message, a copy of which was included in the affidavit, Allen referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and alluded obliquely to grievances over a range of Trump administration actions. The rambling text moves between confession, grievance and farewell, with Allen apologizing to family members, co-workers and even strangers he feared could be caught in the violence while at the same time seeking to explain the attack.
Allen did not speak at length during the quick appearance, as is customary. One of his lawyers, Tezira Abe, noted that he has no criminal record. “He also is presumed innocent at this time,” she said.
Records reveal that Allen is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer. A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match that of the suspect show he worked part-time for the last six years at a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students.
Allen To Remain Jailed Pending Court Hearings
Allen was ordered to remain jailed pending additional court hearings, and faces up to life in prison if convicted of the assassination count alone.
A magistrate judge granted a prosecutor’s request to keep Allen locked up pending additional hearings. A detention hearing is set for Thursday.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at the news conference, “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.
“We are investigating this matter fully, we will apply the law fairly and we will ensure that accountability is swift and certain.”
Todd Blanche
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