Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, pleaded not guilty on Monday to all four federal charges stemming from an alleged attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner last month.
Allen appeared in federal court in Washington, D.C., in handcuffs and leg shackles, wearing an orange jail uniform, as U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden formally read the grand jury indictment against him. He did not speak during the brief arraignment hearing, and his attorney, Tezira Abe, entered the not guilty plea on his behalf.
The four charges Allen faces are 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.
A conviction on the attempted assassination charge alone carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to CNN.
The incident took place on the night of April 25 at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual dinner was being held before roughly 2,600 journalists, politicians, and guests.
Prosecutors allege Allen stormed through a security checkpoint on a floor above the ballroom, where Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and cabinet members had already been seated. He allegedly fired a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun at least once during the breach, striking a Secret Service officer in the chest.
The officer was protected by a ballistic vest and was not severely injured, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference. Five rounds were fired at Allen by law enforcement, and he was tackled to the ground and taken into custody without being shot.
Allen was also carrying a .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol and three knives at the time of the attack, according to prosecutors. Trump and other officials were evacuated from the ballroom after the shooting disrupted the event and brought it to an early end, the BBC reported.
A federal grand jury indicted Allen on May 5 on all four charges. Prosecutors allege Allen traveled by train from his hometown in Torrance, California, to Chicago on April 21, then on to Washington, where he checked into the Washington Hilton the night before the dinner.
Both of his firearms — the pistol, purchased in October 2023, and the shotgun, bought in August 2025 — were legally acquired at gun stores in southern California.
Minutes before the attack, Allen allegedly sent a message to family members in which he referred to himself as a "Friendly Federal Assassin" and expressed grievances against the Trump administration, though he did not name Trump directly.
Allen holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology and a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, earned in 2025. He had been working as a part-time tutor at C2 Education in Torrance and was named the company's "Teacher of the Month" in December 2024, as per Reuters.
