U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that Cole Tomas Allen, the gunman who stormed the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner overnight armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives, likely intended to harm members of the administration and may also have intended to target President Donald Trump.
Blanche said Allen, 31, is not actively cooperating with investigators, who are examining his electronic devices and reviewing emails and other messages to determine a motive. The shooting took place at the Washington Hilton, about a 10-minute drive from the White House, where about 2,600 guests had gathered for the annual dinner, one of the capital’s marquee events and the first attended by Trump.
Footage from the moment of the shooting outside the White House Correspondents’ dinner
(Video: Truth)
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Attendees at the gala event take cover under tables in the ballroom
(Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
At about 8:35 p.m. local time (3:35 a.m. Israel time), Allen entered a lobby leading to the ballroom, attempted to run past security and metal detectors and opened fire. Security personnel returned fire and quickly subdued him; he was not struck. One security guard was hit by Allen’s gunfire, but the bullet was stopped by a vest. The guard was hospitalized in non-serious condition and released later Sunday.
Allen was charged earlier in the day with three counts, including two counts of using a firearm during a violent crime and one count of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. He is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court Monday. He faces up to 20 years on the first two counts and potentially life in prison if convicted on all charges.
Allen is a graduate of the California Institute of Technology, a prestigious U.S. university. Social media indicate he holds a master’s degree in computer science and works as a video game developer. He also taught STEM subjects, an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math, part time and interned at NASA. He has no criminal record. CNN reported he donated $25 in October 2024 to then-Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Blanche said Allen traveled by train from California to Chicago and then to Washington and had been staying at the Hilton. Authorities are examining reports he assembled his weapons inside the hotel. The firearms were legally purchased in the past two and a half years, including a .38-caliber Armscor Precision handgun bought in October 2023 and a Maverick 12-gauge shotgun purchased in August 2025. Officials believe he acted alone and see no known link to Iran. Agents also searched his parents’ home in California.
Officials said the Secret Service response prevented the attacker from reaching the ballroom, but witnesses described lax screening at the hotel entrance, where guests often showed only a ticket or room key before reaching metal detectors. Attendees and analysts said the ability of an armed suspect to get so close raises questions about security at an event attended by Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other senior officials.
Nick Allen, a U.S. correspondent for the Daily Mail, said security checks were minimal. “From the parking lot I entered the hotel and was not required to show a pass again until I reached the escalators, where one guard tried to check several passes at once,” he said. “The first and only set of magnetometers was separated from the main ballroom entrance by a short flight of stairs, and if the gunman had made it through, he could have entered the ballroom within seconds.”
“In a period when America is at war with Iran, the checks appeared minimal,” he added. “Both the president and the vice president were present, which raises further questions about why security was not tighter. When the event is held again in 30 days, it will have to be.”