The annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner burst into chaos last night when a man armed with what was reportedly a shotgun and other weapons stormed the security checkpoint.
After shots were fired, the man was disarmed and detained. Reports say the shooter was targeting “Trump administration officials.”
CBS: The suspect in the shooting outside the WHCD told law enforcement following his arrest that he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials, two sources told CBS News. The suspect didn’t specifically say he was targeting President Trump, just “administration officials,” a…
— Annmarie Hordern (@annmarie) April 26, 2026
President Donald Trump, who was on stage and attending the dinner, was rushed dramatically from the scene.
The suspected shooter has been identified by authorities as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old man from Torrance, California.
D.C. police have said they believe Allen was a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was taking place. Allen was reportedly a CalTech engineering grad who had been working part-time as a teacher.
The White House shared a security video of the incident on social media, and President Trump shared a photo of the suspect.
“A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of Secret Service.” – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/N3UTveVNFM
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 26, 2026
The White House Correspondents Dinner is an annual gala that brings together Washington’s media and power players; this year’s dinner was to be themed around the First Amendment. Some reports suggest that security was notably relaxed at the event.
The Secret Service faced intense criticism after a shooter knicked Trump and killed another man at a campaign stop in 2024.
I wasn’t at the dinner, but Reason‘s Robby Soave and I were at a related party hosted by Substack at the Renwick Gallery, which is located about a block from the White House.
After news of the shooting spread, we were held inside the party; no one was able to enter or exit. Shortly after 10 p.m., we were allowed to exit. The area around the White House was heavily cordoned off by Secret Service and police, with cars prohibited and pedestrians only allowed to walk north, away from the White House. It was a strange and surreal scene.
This is a developing story. We’ll report back when we know more.
