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The suspect in White House Correspondents told law enforcement after his arrest Saturday evening that he intended to target Trump administration officials, senior federal law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News.
Authorities identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California, adding that he had prepared a manifesto outlining his intentions and spreading anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on social media.
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While dinner was in progress, Allen allegedly stormed a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton armed with multiple weapons and opened fire, striking a Secret Service officer in his ballistic vest.
Agents returned fire, knocking Allen to the ground. The suspect and injured officer were transported to a hospital. The Secret Service agent is expected to recover.
The incident adds to a growing list of threats against President Donald Trump, including two confirmed assassination attempts and a recent incident involving one armed intruder at Mar-a-Lago.
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Overnight, the FBI and local law enforcement secured Allen’s home in Torrance. California. A federal judge in the Central District of California is expected to approve a search warrant that would allow investigators to search the apartment.
The White House said Sunday that Allen’s brother contacted the New London Police Department in Connecticut before the shooting and reported that Allen had sent family members a purported manifesto outlining his intention to target administration officials.
Officials also said Allen’s social media contained anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric. President Trump, speaking on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing,” described Allen as “a very troubled guy,” citing the manifesto.
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Law enforcement officials cordon off a street at an address linked to Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Torrance, California, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Allen’s sister, Avriana Allen, told investigators in Rockville: Marylandthat her brother made increasingly radical statements and often talked about doing “something” to address problems in the world.
She said he bought two handguns and a shotgun, which he kept at her parents’ house without their knowledge, and he trained regularly at a shooting range.
She also told authorities that Allen belonged to a group called “The Wide Awakes” and had attended a “No Kings” demonstration in California.
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Investigators assume Allen arrived Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., by train, with a stop in Chicago, according to acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche. He said the investigation was ongoing and more details were expected once formal charges were filed.
Blanche also noted that while the motive remains under investigation, authorities tentatively believe Allen was targeting administration officials.
Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich, Bill Melugin and Matt Finn and Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace, Peter D’Abrosca and Asra Q. Nomani contributed to this report.
