California man accused of plotting to kill president at White House gala

Armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives, a 31-year-old Torrance man allegedly charged a security checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, prompting a high-level evacuation and a fresh review of how a presidential event was guarded.

Authorities identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen and said a Secret Service officer was struck by a round but was protected by a bulletproof vest and later released from the hospital. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, the first lady and other officials were evacuated from the event, and Trump said the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.

Investigators are centering their case on writings Allen sent to family members minutes before the attack. The more than 1,000-word message, which authorities are treating as a manifesto, included anti-Trump grievances, described Allen as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and cited Trump administration actions, including U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Prosecutors are using those writings, along with social media posts and interviews with relatives, to establish motive and intent.

The chain of warning began in New London, Connecticut, where Allen’s brother contacted police after receiving the writings. New London police then alerted federal law enforcement. Allen’s sister told investigators that he had legally purchased several weapons from a California gun store and kept them at his parents’ home in Torrance without their knowledge.

Allen was expected to be arraigned Monday, April 28, 2026, on at least two charges, with more possible. The case has intensified scrutiny of security at the annual dinner, a Washington tradition founded in 1914 that regularly draws the president, journalists, politicians and celebrities. CBS News reported that entry required a ticket and that IDs were not checked inside the hotel, with guests moving through magnetometers into the ballroom.

The attack also landed against a broader backdrop of political violence and repeated threats against Trump. In a separate federal case, Ryan Wesley Routh was convicted in September 2025 and sentenced on February 4, 2026, to life plus 84 months for attempting to assassinate Trump in Florida. For federal agencies charged with protecting the president, the latest breach underscored how quickly a celebratory night can turn into a security crisis.