An armed man tried to force his way into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton on the night of April 25, 2026, setting off gunfire in the lobby, the emergency evacuation of President Donald Trump and hundreds of guests, and the cancellation of the annual gala.
The dinner, long nicknamed the “Nerd Prom,” had been underway only about 20 minutes after the president and First Lady Melania Trump arrived when the disturbance began. Federal authorities said the suspect rushed a secured checkpoint outside the ballroom, carrying a shotgun, a handgun, and several knives, and advanced toward the stairs leading to the room where the president was seated.
Secret Service agents intercepted him before he reached the crowded ballroom. A struggle followed and shots were fired. One agent was struck at close range; officials said the round hit the officer’s ballistic vest and did not cause a fatal injury. The agent was taken to a hospital and was later described as stable and in good spirits. The suspect was subdued, taken into federal custody, and transported for medical and psychological evaluation. He was not reported to have been struck by gunfire.
Investigators identified the man as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. Public profiles describe him as a teacher and former video game developer who earned a mechanical engineering degree from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 and a master’s in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2025. Authorities said he had reserved a room at the Hilton in advance and traveled cross-country by train, arriving in Washington the day before the dinner.
Within minutes, security teams ordered a full evacuation. Heavily armed officers swept the hotel for additional threats. President Trump, the first lady, Vice President JD Vance, senior administration officials, lawmakers, and journalists were moved out of the ballroom. Organizers briefly considered resuming the program. The White House Correspondents’ Association instead canceled the evening, citing ongoing security concerns, and said the dinner would be rescheduled, with tighter measures expected.
Trump praised the Secret Service for stopping what he said could have been a far worse attack and backed the decision to put safety first.
Federal prosecutors later charged Allen with attempting to assassinate the president, along with firearms offenses, and said more counts could follow. Investigators have searched his California residence and are reviewing writings he reportedly sent to relatives shortly before the incident. In those writings, according to charging documents and law enforcement accounts, he described administration officials as his intended targets. Authorities say they believe he acted alone and have found no immediate evidence of a wider plot.
The episode has renewed scrutiny of security at major political gatherings in the capital, and of how an armed suspect reached a checkpoint so close to one of Washington’s most protected annual events.
