Cole Tomas Allen

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner took place at the Washington Hilton and President Donald J. Trump was present.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said that shortly after 8:30 p.m., the defendant approached a U.S. Secret Service screening checkpoint on the hotel’s Terrace Level and sprinted through a magnetometer toward stairs leading to the ballroom.

The Justice Department said a U.S. Secret Service officer wearing a ballistic vest was shot once in the chest during the incident.

The Justice Department said Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was arraigned in U.S. District Court on a complaint charging attempted assassination of the president, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence; those charges were unproven allegations.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging Allen with attempted assassination of the president, assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence; the charges are unproven allegations.

AP reported that Allen pleaded not guilty in federal court; AP said one of his attorneys entered the plea on his behalf.

AP reported that U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden denied Allen’s request to disqualify top Justice Department officials from supervising the prosecution.