Cole Allen Charged with Attempted Assassination in White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting
A 31-year-old California teacher and engineer was formally charged Monday in federal court with attempting to assassinate President Trump during the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday. Cole Allen, who breached a security checkpoint armed with a shotgun and handgun, faces three federal charges including attempted assassination of the president.
The Incident
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court on charges stemming from the April 25, 2026, shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Allen was seen on surveillance video charging through metal detectors outside the ballroom where the dinner was taking place and had purchased the shotgun used in Saturday's shooting in August 2025.
The Charges
Allen was charged Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C. with three counts — attempting to assassinate the president, using a firearm during a crime of violence and transportation of a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony. If convicted, Allen faces the prospect of life in prison.
Pre-Attack Communications
Shortly before 8:40 p.m. on April 25, 2026, Allen sent an email to members of his family and a former employer explaining the actions he was about to take, stating "My sincerest apologies for all the trouble I've caused." Cole Allen, 31, wrote that law enforcement, hotel employees and guests weren't his intended targets but that he would still attack them to get to the administration.
Background
Allen earned a degree in mechanical engineering at Caltech, the California Institute of Technology, in 2017, before going on to receive a master's in computer science at California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2025. After graduating, he found work as a part-time teacher at C2 Education, a test prep and tutoring company, and C2 named Allen the company's "teacher of the month" in December 2024.