White House dinner shooting suspect pleads not guilty to federal charges

The man accused of firing into the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton pleaded not guilty to four federal charges, turning a chaotic security breach into a test of how the government will protect elite political events.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, entered the plea in federal court on Monday. Prosecutors say Allen traveled from the Los Angeles area by train to Chicago, then on to Washington, and had reserved a room at the Washington Hilton for April 24 through April 26, 2026, surrounding the April 25 dinner where President Donald Trump and about 2,600 guests were inside.

Authorities say Allen was armed with multiple firearms and knives when he breached a Secret Service checkpoint near the ballroom. A Secret Service officer was struck once in a bullet-resistant vest and was later released from the hospital. Allen was also injured during the incident, but was not shot.

The federal case now centers on what prosecutors can prove about intent and planning. Allen is charged with attempted assassination of the President of the United States, assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, transporting a firearm and ammunition across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Prosecutors previously filed an initial complaint, then a grand jury indictment added a new charge tied to the shooting of the Secret Service agent.

The gunfire triggered the evacuation of Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials, abruptly ending the annual dinner. The scene exposed how quickly a heavily protected event can become vulnerable when a person gets past the perimeter with weapons.

Allen’s attorneys are now trying to remove senior Justice Department officials Todd Blanche and Jeanine Pirro from the case, arguing they could be viewed as victims or witnesses because both attended the event. The move adds another layer of conflict to a case that already reaches into the highest levels of federal law enforcement.

The White House Correspondents’ Association called the shooting a harrowing moment, thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement, and wished the injured officer a full and speedy recovery. The group said its board would meet to assess what happened and determine how to proceed.

A federal judge scheduled Allen to return to court on June 29, 2026, as investigators and prosecutors continue to build a case that has become about more than one violent night at a Washington hotel. It now stands as a measure of how secure the capital’s most visible political gatherings really are.