WHCD Shooting Suspect Cole Allen to Appear in Court Monday

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, April 27, 2026, after Saturday night's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner at the Washington Hilton. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other officials were evacuated unharmed.

Shooting at 8:34 p.m. EDT

Gunfire broke out at 8:34 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 25, near the main security screening area of the dinner, which was attended by approximately 2,500 people including multiple Cabinet officers, according to CNN, the Washington Post and NPR. The US Secret Service said "the president and first lady are safe along [with] all protectees."

Allen charged a security checkpoint armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives, and fired at least one shot before being tackled by law enforcement. One officer was struck in a bullet-resistant vest and is expected to recover. The suspect sustained a knee injury. There were no fatalities.

Alleged Manifesto Cited

CBS News reported on a document it described as an alleged manifesto sent by Allen to family members, titled "Friendly Federal Assassin," that named Trump-administration officials as targets "prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest." The Justice Department indicated Trump was likely the intended target. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche identified the weapons recovered.

International Condemnation

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack, with Erdogan placing a Sunday-evening telephone call to Trump. In a separate statement, Erdogan described the shooting as "a heinous act against democracy and press freedom." Allen, a teacher and video-game developer per public records, faces formal charges at his Monday court appearance.