By Stacy Robinson and Jackson Richman

WASHINGTON—The Department of Justice has charged Cole Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.

During a brief court appearance on April 27, Allen was also charged with transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, Allen faces life in prison and hundreds of thousands in fines.

Allen has not yet entered a plea.

Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh informed Allen of his rights, and prosecutors requested that he remain in custody. Allen’s detention hearing is scheduled for April 30, and a preliminary hearing will be held on May 11.

“The Department of Justice approaches incidents like this with urgency and clarity of purpose,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said during a press conference on April 27.

“Violence has no place in civic life. It cannot and will not be used to disrupt democratic institutions or intimidate those who serve them, and it certainly cannot continue to be used against the president of the United States.”

According to officials, Allen sent a manifesto to family members in which he referred to himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and outlined plans to target senior Trump administration officials attending the event. Blanche said the intended targets likely included Trump.

Allen allegedly said in the manifesto that FBI Director Kash Patel, Secret Service agents, and hotel security were not his primary targets and that he intended to engage them only as necessary. He explained that his motive was displeasure with Trump and his administration, according to court documents.

The annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner brings together journalists and prominent figures to celebrate press freedom. The shooting sent attendees scrambling for cover and prompted law enforcement to quickly evacuate senior officials. Trump, who was scheduled to speak later that evening, was rushed offstage by security.

Blanche told reporters that Allen charged through the metal detector security checkpoints and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent. The agent was struck in the chest and returned fire, but all five of his shots missed Allen. Blanche said the government is still confirming whether the agent was struck by Allen’s shot or if it was friendly fire.

Law enforcement managed to subdue Allen and quickly arrest him. Authorities say he was carrying a handgun and multiple knives in addition to the shotgun. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation after the incident.

The Secret Service agent who was struck was protected by a tactical vest and was released from the hospital within hours.

Officials said the suspect was stopped within a secured area and described the response as a success for law enforcement. However, the incident has renewed concerns about Trump’s safety—he survived two assassination attempts during his 2024 campaign—and that of other U.S. officials.

Blanche also reiterated that the incident highlighted the necessity to finish construction on the new White House Ballroom, which has been held up in court.

What We Know

Allen, approximately 31, is from Torrance, California, a coastal city in the South Bay region near Los Angeles along Santa Monica Bay. A LinkedIn profile under his name describes him as a “mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, and teacher by birth.”

According to the profile, he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University–Dominguez Hills in 2025. Caltech confirmed that an individual with that name graduated in 2017.

Blanche said the investigation into Allen—which included interviews and the execution of search warrants in California and Washington—is ongoing. He also warned that some of the information being leaked to the media is unreliable, but he did not give specifics.

Members of the FBI’s Washington Field Office are coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security and the Metropolitan Police Department in the ongoing investigation, according to Patel.

“There will be additional charges as this investigation continues to unfold,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.

“But make no mistake, this was an attempted assassination of the President of the United States, with the defendant making clear what his intent was, and that intent was to bring down as many of the high ranking Cabinet officials as he could.”

Pirro said that on April 6, Allen made a reservation at the hotel, booking a room for three nights that overlapped with the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. On April 21, he began the train ride from his home near Los Angeles, passing through Chicago on April 23 and arriving in Washington on April 24.

Allen was aware that the president and the first lady had entered the ballroom at 8 p.m., Pirro said, and he rushed the security checkpoint at 8:40 p.m.

“Let this be a message to anyone who thinks that Washington, D.C., is the place to act out political violence,” Pirro told reporters.

“And if you are willing to do so with a firearm and cross state lines, we will find you. We will track your steps from the inception of your plan, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

Reuters contributed to this report.