Cole Tomas Allen Shot Secret Service Officer at White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C.

A shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. left a Secret Service officer injured after a suspect sprinted through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun, according to federal prosecutors, Secret Service officials, and multiple outlets reviewing video.

The incident disrupted one of the highest-profile annual events in the nation’s capital, and the Secret Service director said the officer was shot “point-blank range” as the suspect charged through the checkpoint.

BBC

In a video released by U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro, federal prosecutors said the moment showed “a man armed with guns and knives tried to storm the White House Correspondents' Association dinner and attempt to kill President Donald Trump.”

The Hill reported that Secret Service Director Sean Curran told NewsNation’s sister network that the agent was shot at “point-blank range” by the suspect as he charged through the checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel.

Curran also told Fox News’s Will Cain that the officer “heroically returned fire,” and the officer fired toward the suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, at least five times.

Multiple reports tied the shooting to the security checkpoint distance from the podium, with the AP describing that “The distance from the magnetometers to the podium where Trump was seated was 355 feet.”

The Washington Post reviewed surveillance footage showing Allen burst out of a doorway “in full sprint” and that the officer fired the only shots “clearly visible in the video” from a security checkpoint outside the dinner.

As investigators and prosecutors described the sequence of gunfire, outlets reported that the question of who shot the Secret Service officer remained contested in public statements and court filings.

The BBC said the president and other top officials told reporters that a Secret Service officer was shot and survived thanks to a bulletproof vest, but it also reported that “court documents filed on behalf of government attorneys do not explicitly allege the accused shot an officer on the night of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.”

BBC

The BBC quoted former U.S. Attorney Mark Lesko warning that “inaccuracies could open the door for defence attorneys to poke holes in the case,” and it described how prosecutors’ statements changed as the investigation evolved.

In contrast, NewsNation reported that Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the officer was struck “in the chest while wearing a bulletproof vest with a shotgun blast,” and Curran said, “Our officer heroically returned fire while being shot point-blank range in the chest with a shotgun.”

The AP reported that Pirro posted the video and that “there is no evidence that the officer was hit by friendly fire,” while also stating that “the video appears to show Allen run through a magnetometer and point his weapon at the agent, who fired back five times, according to authorities.”

The Hill similarly said Curran told NewsNation that the agent was not hit by friendly fire and that “Our officer heroonly returned fire,” adding that the agent fired toward Allen at least five times.

NBC News, citing three law enforcement officials, said investigators believed Allen shot the officer who was wearing a ballistic vest and also said investigators determined the officer was not struck by friendly fire.

Cole Tomas Allen, described across outlets as 31 and from Torrance, California, faced federal charges tied to the alleged attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump and the disruption of the dinner at the Washington Hilton.

The AP said Allen was injured but “was not shot during the Saturday night attack,” and it reported that he agreed to remain jailed while he awaits trial and “did not enter a plea during his brief appearance in federal court.”

The Hill reported that Allen was facing three federal charges over his alleged efforts to disrupt the annual event and assassinate the president, and it said the suspect could face “up to life in prison” if convicted of attempted assassination.

NewsNation said Allen was charged with attempted assassination of the president, transportation of a firearm with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime, and it said he faces up to life in prison if convicted.

The BBC described the justice department affidavit naming Cole Tomas Allen, 31, as the suspect and listing charges including that he discharged a firearm, and it said Allen was armed with “a semi-automatic handgun, a pump-action shotgun and three knives, according to authorities.”

NBC News added that investigators were analyzing Allen’s devices, including “desktop and laptop computers from his California home, as well as his phone, a laptop and hard drives recovered from his guest room at the Washington Hilton hotel.”

USA Today reported that Allen appeared in federal court in Washington on April 27 on charges of attempting to assassinate Trump, transporting a firearm and ammunition across state lines with the intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and it said he could face life in prison if convicted.

Beyond the immediate shooting, multiple outlets described the security posture at the Washington Hilton and the debate over whether outside review is needed.

USA Today quoted former Secret Service head John Magaw calling for “outside reviews of the protective agency's handling of the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner,” arguing that “You don't want to investigate it yourself. The public won't believe it.”

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USA Today said two other reviews were already underway, including one by the White House that would convene the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security, and another by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The outlet also said the Secret Service was conducting its own after-action review and that a senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigations said the Secret Service subdued the alleged gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, and evacuated President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other leaders.

USA Today described Magaw’s warning that if the suspect had used an explosive device, “he could have decapitated the whole leadership of our country.”

It also reported that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called the Secret Service’s performance a “massive security success story” at an April 27 news briefing, and it quoted Blanche’s phrase “The strength of our layered security posture” before the article cut off.

The AP and other outlets emphasized the Secret Service director’s defense of the event setup, with Sean Curran saying “The site was set up perfectly” and that he would not change it.

As the legal process moved forward, outlets described Allen’s detention status, the timeline for hearings, and the evolving public record around the shooting.

The AP said Allen agreed earlier Thursday to remain jailed while he awaits trial, and it reported that he “did not enter a plea during his brief appearance in federal court.”

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The Hill said Allen remains in detention ahead of trial and that his preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11.

NewsNation reported that Allen agreed to remain in custody while his case moved forward in court after earlier arguments by his lawyers seeking release, and it said his attorney said Thursday that Allen would not immediately contest the argument.

The BBC described how prosecutors’ statements changed and how court documents did not explicitly allege Allen shot the officer, while it also reported that the justice department affidavit named Cole Tomas Allen, 31, and listed charges including that he discharged a firearm.

USA Today said Allen faced a detention hearing April 30 and that prosecutors argued in an April 29 pretrial detention memo that he should remain in custody because he poses an “intolerable risk of danger to the community” if released.

NBC News reported that work continued analyzing Allen’s devices, including computers and hard drives recovered from his guest room at the Washington Hilton hotel, as investigators assessed the evidence.