Man Charged in Attempted Assassination of Trump at Correspondents' Dinner

Cole Allen, 31, was arrested on April 25 after allegedly attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C. Prosecutors state that Allen targeted Trump and Cabinet officials, authoring a manifesto and leaving a digital trail indicating weeks of planning.

He remains in federal custody, with his next court hearing set for May 11. Secret Service Director Sean Curran described the incident, saying Allen shot an agent in the chest while charging through security. The agent's bulletproof vest stopped the round, and the agent returned five shots that missed.

Allen reportedly tripped and fell, allowing agents to subdue him; he was the only person besides the agent to discharge a weapon.

Background on the Suspect Allen holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, earned in 2017, and a master's in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, completed last year.

He worked as a tutor at C2 Education since March 2020, and a December 30, 2024, Facebook post from the company named him teacher of the month. Defense attorneys portray Allen as a devout Christian with no criminal history, a loved and respected teacher, and claim prosecutors lack key physical evidence.

Jeanine Pirro stated that the bullet that hit the Secret Service agent was definitively fired by the gunman. She added there is no doubt Allen targeted Trump, citing evidence beyond the manifesto. Defense memos dispute aspects of the incident's characterization.

and Commentary Cornerstone University President

Gerson Moreno-Riaño commented on the case, highlighting a trend of 'educated assassins' who act from perverted philosophical convictions. He expressed concern that highly educated individuals are committing such acts, attributing it to ideological indoctrination in education rather than moral guidance.