US Gala Shooting Suspect Charged in Trump Assassination Attempt

5 hours ago 3

April 28, 2026 | 11:30 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. federal authorities have charged a 31-year-old man with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump following a shooting incident at a high-profile gala in Washington, D.C., according to Al Jazeera.

The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, faces a three-count complaint that includes firearms charges, prosecutors said on Monday. The case stems from an incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, an annual gathering of journalists and political figures.

If convicted, the attempted assassination charge carries a potential life sentence.

Allen appeared in federal court in Washington two days after authorities said they had foiled the attack. Wearing a blue prison jumpsuit, he sat flanked by U.S. Marshals and told the court he would answer all questions truthfully, adding that he holds a master’s degree in computer science. He has not yet formally responded to the allegations.

“He attempted to assassinate the president of the United States, Donald J Trump,” prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine said during the hearing.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh ordered Allen to remain in custody as the case proceeds, with a further hearing on his detention scheduled for Thursday.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., said additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues.

“Make no mistake, this was an attempted assassination of the president of the United States, with the defendant making clear what his intent was – and that intent was to bring down as many of the high-ranking cabinet officials as he could,” she told reporters.

Pirro cited an alleged manifesto written by the suspect, saying his targets were administration officials “prioritised from highest-ranking to lowest”.

Authorities said Allen was armed with a semiautomatic pistol, a shotgun and three knives, with the weapons believed to have been purchased in California. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen travelled by train from near Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, arriving on April 24 and checking into the Washington Hilton hotel, where the event was held.

According to Blanche, Allen approached a security checkpoint at the hotel during the dinner and attempted to breach it while carrying a long gun.

Blanche said the suspect ran through the magnetometer while carrying a long gun, at which point U.S. Secret Service personnel assigned to the checkpoint heard a loud gunshot.

He added that one Secret Service officer was “shot in the chest but was protected by a ballistic vest.” The officer, despite being hit, returned fire five times at Allen, who was not struck but fell to the ground and was promptly arrested.

The incident, described as the third assassination attempt against Trump since 2024, has heightened political tensions in the United States.

Read: Trump Urges ABC to Fire Jimmy Kimmel Over Melania Joke

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