In a significant legal development, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, has been charged with a terrorism offense in connection with the shooting incident that occurred during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 25, 2026. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the unsealing of a 5-count superseding indictment today in U.S. District Court, which includes this new count alongside previous charges of attempting to assassinate then-President Donald J. Trump and assaulting a U.S. Secret Service officer with a deadly weapon.
The superseding indictment adds a count of act of terrorism while armed, specifically for the attempted first-degree murder of the President, a violation under the D.C. criminal code. Should Allen be convicted, they face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The incident took place shortly after 8:30 p.m. at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was being held. Allen allegedly approached a security checkpoint and, after bypassing the magnetometers, proceeded towards the ballroom where the President was located. During this encounter, Allen fired a Mossberg Maverick 88 shotgun, striking a Secret Service officer in the chest. In response, the officer drew their weapon and fired multiple rounds at Allen, who was subsequently subdued by law enforcement.
Upon arrest, authorities discovered that Allen possessed not only the shotgun but also a .38 caliber pistol, various types of ammunition, knives, and tools. The FBI Washington Field Office is leading the investigation, while the prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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