# Suspect in Press Dinner Shooting Indicted on Assassination Attempt Charge  
**Published:** 2026-05-06T00:24:11.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/05/repub/suspect-in-d-c-press-dinner-shooting-indicted-for-attempt-to-assassinate-trump/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/suspect-in-press-dinner-shooting-indicted-on-assassination-attempt-charge

A California man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was [indicted Tuesday on four federal charges](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/05/repub/suspect-in-d-c-press-dinner-shooting-indicted-for-attempt-to-assassinate-trump/), including attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, according to court documents.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, allegedly rushed a security checkpoint outside the Washington Hilton ballroom on April 25 armed with a shotgun, pistol, and multiple knives. A U.S. Secret Service agent wearing a protective vest was struck once in the chest but sustained no serious injury. The agent returned fire, and Allen fell to the ground with minor injuries but was not shot.

Allen was indicted on counts of attempting to assassinate the president, assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, transporting firearms over state lines with intent to commit a felony, and using or discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted of attempting to assassinate the president, he faces up to life in prison.

According to prosecutors, Allen transported a 12-gauge pump action shotgun with 45 rounds of ammunition and a .38 caliber semi-automatic pistol with 55 rounds. Court filings also detail that he carried two knives, four daggers, multiple holsters and sheaths, and wire cutters.

Shortly before the 8:40 p.m. incident, Allen sent an email to family members and a former employer stating he intended to target "administration officials ... prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest." [Investigators say Allen believed it was his duty to target Trump administration officials](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-suspect-white-house-correspondents-dinner-cole-thomas-allen-rcna342146), according to documents reviewed by law enforcement.

[The annual White House Correspondents' Dinner has been held since 1921](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Correspondents) and is a traditional gathering of journalists, government officials, and celebrities at the Washington Hilton. [The 2026 event was the first White House Correspondents' Dinner Trump attended as president, after declining to attend during his first term and in 2025.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_White_House_Correspondents) Approximately 2,600 people were in attendance, including Vice President JD Vance and multiple Cabinet members.

Allen, a part-time teacher and engineer from California, had legally purchased both firearms before the attack. [Family members said Allen regularly attended shooting ranges and had training with firearms](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-suspect-white-house-correspondents-dinner-cole-thomas-allen-rcna342146), and [investigators found anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on his social media accounts.](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-suspect-white-house-correspondents-dinner-cole-thomas-allen-rcna342146)

Allen traveled by train from California to Chicago and then to Washington, where he checked into the Washington Hilton several days before the dinner. He is scheduled to be arraigned in federal district court in Washington, D.C.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/05/repub/suspect-in-d-c-press-dinner-shooting-indicted-for-attempt-to-assassinate-trump/)
- [NBC News profile of Cole Tomas Allen](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-suspect-white-house-correspondents-dinner-cole-thomas-allen-rcna342146)
- [Wikipedia article on the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_White_House_Correspondents'_Dinner_shooting)
- [Wikipedia article on the White House Correspondents' Dinner history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_Correspondents'_Dinner)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/05/repub/suspect-in-d-c-press-dinner-shooting-indicted-for-attempt-to-assassinate-trump/.