WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors have added an armed terrorism charge against a 31-year-old California man accused of opening fire at a Secret Service checkpoint during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner earlier this year.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, is named in a newly unsealed five-count superseding indictment in U.S. District Court. The updated indictment adds one count of committing an act of terrorism while armed – tied to the alleged attempted first-degree murder of President Donald J. Trump – under D.C. law.
What Happened:
The shooting happened shortly after 8:30 p.m. on April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton while Trump was inside attending the annual dinner.
In the indictment, prosecutors allege Allen approached a U.S. Secret Service security screening checkpoint on the hotel's Terrace Level, sprinted through a metal detector and ran toward the stairs leading to the ballroom where Trump was located.
As he ran, Allen fired a Mossberg Maverick 88 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, hitting a Secret Service officer once in the chest, prosecutors allege. According to officials, the officer drew his service weapon and fired five shots at Allen, who fell to the ground and was restrained and arrested by law enforcement.
President Trump was not injured and was quickly rushed from the area by his security detail. Federal officials said Allen was not hit by gunfire and suffered only a minor knee injury.
What's New:
In addition to the new armed terrorism count, Allen was previously indicted on four federal charges:
- Attempting to assassinate the President of the United States
- Assaulting a federal officer or employee with a deadly weapon
- Transporting a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with the intent to commit a felony
- Discharging a firearm during a crime of violence
Prosecutors allege that when Allen was arrested, he had the Mossberg shotgun with one spent shell in the chamber, along with a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38-caliber pistol and dozens of unspent 12-gauge shotgun shells and .38-caliber rounds. Investigators also allege he was carrying two knives, four daggers, multiple sheaths and holsters, needle-nose pliers and wire cutters.
If convicted, Allen faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, prosecutors said. The FBI's Washington Field Office is leading the investigation, and prosecutors from the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia are handling the case.
The backstory:
Court filings and statements from prosecutors outline what investigators allege was weeks of advance planning leading up to the shooting.
According to an FBI affidavit, Allen reserved a room at the Washington Hilton on April 6 – weeks before the dinner. Investigators allege he then traveled cross-country by train from California and checked into the hotel one day before the event, staying through the weekend.
Prosecutors also allege Allen monitored Trump's movements on the night of the dinner, repeatedly checking online updates, including live coverage of the president's arrival.
When the earlier four-count indictment was announced, Pirro said in a statement that "there is evidence this defendant intended to assassinate the president, and that he shot a U.S. Secret Service officer after he traversed the country with a cache of ammunition to accomplish his goals," adding that "the use of violence to register dissent is anti-democratic at its core."
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also said in a statement at the time that "violent political actors will never win" and pledged to prosecute anyone who engages in such acts "to the fullest extent of the law."
The Source: This article was written using information from the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and previous FOX 5 DC reporting.