White House press dinner shooting suspect faces potential Trump assassination charge, according to Blanche
The gunman who attempted to breach the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington DC on Saturday night could face charges of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, the acting US attorney general, Todd Blanche, has said. Asked in a live CNN interview on Sunday morning whether the suspect could be charged with trying to kill the US president, Blanche replied “absolutely”. He later told NBC’s Meet the Press that investigators believe the 31-year-old was targeting members of the Trump administration, though he cautioned that “specifics beyond that general statement” were not yet available.
Charges and investigation
For now, the suspected gunman has been charged with assaulting a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer. Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, said the suspect faces two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. She added that additional charges were expected as the investigation progressed, and that terrorism charges would be considered if evidence supported them. The suspect is expected to appear in federal court in Washington on Monday. Blanche said the alleged shooter was “not actively cooperating” with the authorities, and that investigators did not yet know whether there was any connection to the US-Israel war in Iran.
Suspect’s cross-country journey and hotel check-in
Officials believe the suspect travelled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington DC, where he checked in as a guest at the Washington Hilton — the hotel hosting one of the capital’s most high-profile annual events. The journey is seen as a critical element of the inquiry because it appears to explain how the suspect bypassed initial layers of security. The Washington Hilton, which has extensive security modifications for presidential visits including a secured garage and dedicated elevator access, allows registered guests to enter without the same screening applied to dinner attendees. Investigators believe the suspect exploited his status as a hotel guest to approach the ballroom area undetected until he reached a secondary security checkpoint.
Surveillance footage shows a man rushing across the space outside the ballroom armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. He allegedly charged a security checkpoint and opened fire, hitting a Secret Service agent. That agent was wearing a bulletproof vest and sustained non-life-threatening injuries; he was taken to hospital but discharged on Sunday. The incident caused chaos inside the ballroom. President Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Vice-President JD Vance were seated at a high table at the head of the room as the dinner was getting under way. Trump was rushed off the stage at the sound of gunshots, dropping to the floor as Secret Service agents shielded him before getting him to his feet and evacuating him. Melania Trump had been talking to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt when muffled gunshots rang out; both women gasped. Vance was rushed from the room in the opposite direction moments later. Journalists and guests ducked under tables, and law enforcement officers with rifles blocked lines of sight to the president. CNN’s veteran anchor Wolf Blitzer, who was in the room, said: “I did see the gunman on the ground after he started shooting. Police officers threw him to the ground.” Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland said he never saw the shooter but added: “I think a Secret Service agent threw me to the ground and on top of some other people and people were screaming and yelling.” The entire room eventually emptied after attendees were told the event would not resume. Outside the hotel, helicopters circled overhead.
The suspect’s background
Law enforcement agencies have identified the suspected gunman as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, a suburb of Los Angeles. A records search shows he has no criminal charges or civil court history in Los Angeles County, and he was not on law enforcement’s radar in Washington DC. Allen graduated from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, and later earned a master’s degree in computer science in 2025 from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Professionally, he has been described as a tutor and software developer. He was named “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024 by C2 Education, a national tutoring firm. He also identified himself as an “indie game developer” and registered a trademark for a game called “Bohrdom”. Politically, Allen made a $25 donation to ActBlue, a political action committee supporting Democrats, in October 2024.
The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is an annual event that traditionally features comedy and a presidential speech, with proceeds funding journalism awards and scholarships. This year’s dinner was already tense given the presence of Trump and senior cabinet members including defence secretary Pete Hegseth and secretary of state Marco Rubio. Trump had agreed to attend for the first time as president after skipping the event during his first term and last year. Colin Jost of Saturday Night Live was scheduled to be the featured entertainer. The Washington Hilton also has a notable history: it was the site of the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan 45 years ago. After the incident, President Trump held a press conference at the White House still in his tuxedo, describing the suspect as a “lone wolf whack job” and praising the quick response of law enforcement. He said the injured Secret Service agent was “in great shape” due to his bulletproof vest, indicated the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days, and released surveillance footage of the incident on his Truth Social platform.
