A gunman opened fire outside the Washington Hilton ballroom on Saturday evening. The attack disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and forced the swift evacuation of President Trump, the First Lady, and Vice President JD Vance.
The incident occurred at approximately 8:40 p.m. EDT, when a man charged through a security checkpoint near the main magnetometer screening area and discharged multiple rounds before being subdued by law enforcement. One Secret Service agent was struck in a bullet-resistant vest and is expected to fully recover. No other injuries were reported.
The April 25 attack marks the latest in a series of security threats against President Trump, echoing prior assassination attempts.
Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California — a suburb of Los Angeles. Allen had no prior criminal record and was not on law enforcement’s radar. At the time of the attack, he carried a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives, according to The Washington Post. He had purchased both firearms legally between 2023 and 2025. Public records show Allen worked as a part-time tutor and had a background in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology.
Allen faces charges of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, with additional counts expected. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed Allen’s arraignment in federal court for Monday. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN that Allen likely targeted members of the Trump administration. However, officials are still determining a final motive.
Speaking from the White House briefing room later that evening, President Trump praised the quick response of law enforcement. “Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They acted quickly and bravely.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said a ‘depraved person’ hijacked the evening to attempt an assassination. She noted the attacker specifically sought to target the President.”
“Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said a ‘depraved person’ hijacked the evening to attempt an assassination. Following the incident, WHCA President Weijia Jiang addressed the shaken audience. ”Thank God everybody’s safe,” Jiang told the crowd, according to NPR.
A Pattern of Threats Against Trump
Saturday’s incident is the most recent in a troubling series of attacks and threats targeting the president. The most significant prior attempt came on July 13, 2024, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired from a rooftop at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet grazed Trump’s right ear; rally-goer Corey Comperatore was killed, and two others were critically wounded. A Secret Service counter-sniper killed Crooks seconds after the attack began.
A second confirmed field incident occurred on September 15, 2024, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when a Secret Service agent spotted a man concealed in the tree line armed with a semi-automatic rifle. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, fled before being apprehended and was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life in prison in February 2026. The Washington Post and other outlets noted that Saturday’s dinner attack is the third confirmed on-site security incident targeting Trump in less than two years, renewing urgent questions about the adequacy of protective protocols at public and semi-public events.
FBI Director Kash Patel said agents are examining shell casings and a long gun recovered from the scene, and are interviewing eyewitnesses who attended the dinner. Interim D.C. Police Chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed investigators believe Allen acted alone and that there is no ongoing threat to the public. The arraignment is scheduled for Monday in the federal district court.
