The suspect in the security breach at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president of the United States.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, appeared at a federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., for his initial court appearance, less than 48 hours after he was accused of rushing a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel. Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, according to law enforcement officials. He faces three charges: attempted assassination of the president, transportation of a firearm and ammunition interstate commerce with the intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
A Secret Service officer was shot in the melee, but was saved by a bulletproof vest and has already been discharged from the hospital, officials said.
Allen appeared in a blue inmate-style shirt and pants next to his lawyers. He spoke clearly, answering “no” when Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh asked if he was on drugs or alcohol and replying that he has a master’s degree when asked about his highest level of education.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said at a late-night news conference on Saturday that the suspect is also likely to face “many more charges.”
Allen has remained in federal custody since Saturday. His appearance in court Monday came after President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social page photos of the suspect face down on the carpet of the hotel after he had been subdued by authorities, along with grainy security footage appearing to show the suspect rushing at Secret Service agents, who drew their guns in response.
At an impromptu White House briefing Saturday night, Trump said Allen “looked pretty evil when he was down,” and called him “a sick person.”
A spokesperson for the California Institute of Technology confirmed to MS NOW the school has a record of a student by the same name who graduated in 2017 but said further information was unavailable. A photo of the suspect on LinkedIn shows him praised as “Teacher of the Month” at a college test prep and tutoring service in December 2024.
In writings published by the New York Post that he reportedly sent to family members prior to the attack, Allen said the administration officials were “targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” and that Secret Service were targets “only if necessary.” He did not mention Trump by name, but appeared to reference his anticipated speech.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that the suspect “was targeting administration officials,” and that the president was likely among those targets.
In his reported writings, Allen also criticized the lax security at the venue, which current and former law enforcement officials also told MS NOW was a major problem.
Trump and several of his administration officials have argued the incident proves the need for his controversial White House ballroom plans to move forward amid legal scrutiny.
Blanche said investigators believe Allen was a Washington Hilton hotel guest and that he acted alone. The acting attorney general said Allen is believed to have traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then from Chicago to Washington. Two of the firearms he had on him were purchased legally in the past couple of years, Blanche said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Fallon Gallagher and Nora McKee contributed reporting.
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