Details surrounding the shooting during the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner continue to roll in.
According to the New York Post, the alleged shooter has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California. It is believed that he is a teacher at C2 Education, a tutoring and test-prep company, based on a LinkedIn profile that matches his name and photo.
At this time, he is currently in custody and was reportedly armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives during the incident, which took place at approximately 8:35 p.m. at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C. Shots were not fired at the gunman at the time of the shooting, however, he was charged and tackled to the ground before being taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
The law enforcement officer who was shot on the scene was wearing a bulletproof vest and walked away with no real injuries. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon confirmed a “facial bruise” as a result of the chaos that erupted when people heard the gunshots. Another elderly man in attendance appeared injured and was seen limping out of the ballroom with assistance.
An investigation is underway into how Allen managed to gain access to the hotel so close to the leaders, with roughly 2,500 guests in attendance. It is
believed that he checked into the hotel, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made sure to disclose was the same place where an assassination attempt on former President Ronald Reagan occurred in 1981, as a guest.It has also been confirmed that Trump was at the center as a target in the attack. This is the first year Trump has attended the annual dinner as a sitting president.
“There were a lot of high-value targets in the room,” said Bessent. “The president and vice president were both up on the stage.”
Trump says he doesn’t believe that the attack is linked to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, and vowed to continue his approach to politics. He also promised to reschedule the dinner within 30 days and to change the language of his remarks, noting that he initially planned to “rip into reporters.”
“It’s not going to deter me from winning the war in Iran,” said Trump. “I don’t know if that had anything to do with it. I really don’t think so, based on what we know.”
He added, “A lot of other people, you know, you read stories when they become basket cases, to be honest with you. I’m not a basket case. I want to live because I want to make this country great. That’s why I want to live. When you’re impactful, they go after you.”
This is the third time Trump has allegedly been targeted in an assassination attempt. The first was in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024, when he was shot in his upper ear by a 20-year-old gunman who was shot dead by security personnel at the time.
Two months after that incident, Secret Service agents discovered a man hiding in the bushes at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, as Trump played rounds on the course. It was deemed an assassination attempt because the suspect was seen wielding a gun. He was sentenced to life in prison in February 2026.
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