# White House dinner shooting suspect pleads not guilty to assassination attempt  
**Published:** 2026-05-11T19:01:02.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/11/repub/suspected-white-house-press-dinner-shooter-pleads-not-guilty-to-4-federal-charges/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/white-house-dinner-shooting-suspect-pleads-not-guilty-to-assassination-attempt

The California man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner last month pleaded not guilty Monday to four federal charges, including attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, entered his pleas before U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden in Washington, D.C., following [the Nebraska Examiner's reporting](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/11/repub/suspected-white-house-press-dinner-shooter-pleads-not-guilty-to-4-federal-charges/) on the arraignment.

Allen is charged with attempting to assassinate the president, a charge carrying a potential life sentence, assault on a U.S. officer, interstate transportation of a firearm with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a deadly weapon during a violent crime. The indictment was obtained May 5 by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The April 25 incident erupted when Allen allegedly rushed past a Secret Service checkpoint on the terrace level of the Washington Hilton, one floor above the ballroom where Trump and thousands of administration officials, journalists and lawmakers were gathered. A Secret Service officer struck by gunfire was protected by a bulletproof vest and escaped serious injury. The officer returned fire, and Allen was apprehended at the scene with minor injuries.

According to federal documents, Allen traveled by train from the Los Angeles area to Washington, D.C., and checked into the Washington Hilton on April 24. He had made his reservation April 6 for three nights. Authorities say he carried multiple weapons, including a shotgun and handgun he had legally purchased in California.

Prosecutors allege Allen sent an email to family members and a former employer shortly before the shooting stating he intended to target Trump administration officials. An [affidavit from the Department of Justice](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/suspect-white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting-charged-attempt-assassinate-president) described him as traveling "armed to the teeth" with plans for a potential mass shooting.

Allen's defense team, however, raised concerns about prosecutorial conflicts of interest. Public defenders argued that [Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro should recuse themselves](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-suspect-white-house-correspondents-dinner-cole-thomas-allen-rcna342146) because both were present at the dinner and could be considered victims. Pirro also attended the event. The judge gave prosecutors two weeks to respond to the recusal request and scheduled the next hearing for June 29.

Allen, who earned a mechanical engineering degree from Caltech in 2017 and a master's degree in computer science in 2025, worked as a part-time teacher and video game developer. [Authorities discovered writings expressing anti-Trump and anti-Christian sentiment](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/25/politics/live-news/trump-white-house-correspondents-dinner) on his social media accounts. He had no prior criminal record and was not previously on law enforcement's radar, officials said.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/11/repub/suspected-white-house-press-dinner-shooter-pleads-not-guilty-to-4-federal-charges/)
- [U.S. Department of Justice - Suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting Charged with Attempt to Assassinate the President](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/suspect-white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting-charged-attempt-assassinate-president)
- [NBC News - What we know about Cole Tomas Allen, suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-suspect-white-house-correspondents-dinner-cole-thomas-allen-rcna342146)
- [CNN - White House says suspect in Correspondents' Dinner shooting wanted to target Trump officials](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/25/politics/live-news/trump-white-house-correspondents-dinner)

---

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/2026/05/11/repub/suspected-white-house-press-dinner-shooter-pleads-not-guilty-to-4-federal-charges/.