A US judge said Monday that Cole Tomas Allen faces federal charges in a Trump assassination case after authorities accused him of shooting a Secret Service agent at a Washington dinner.
Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, appeared in Washington federal court two days after authorities said they stopped an attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton.
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine told the court that Allen “attempted to assassinate” President Donald Trump of the United States. US Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh ordered Allen detained and scheduled another detention hearing for Thursday.
Authorities said Allen fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent near a hotel security checkpoint before officers tackled and arrested him.
The Secret Service agent was struck, but a tactical vest stopped the shot, and the agent later left the hospital. Officials said Allen also carried a handgun and multiple knives.
"Make no mistake. This was an attempted assassination of the president of the United States."
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro delves into the timeline leading up to Cole Allen's alleged attempted shooting and confirms additional charges will be filed.https://t.co/ePkx9ZDQ8j pic.twitter.com/ntSawXVy8n
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 27, 2026Allen left family members a manifesto that referred to himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and discussed targeting senior Trump administration officials.
Read: US WHCA Dinner Shooting Puts Kash Patel Under Fire
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the Saturday night attack as the third major assassination attempt against Trump after two attempts in 2024. Prominent elected Democrats condemned the shooting.
