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ABC News

White House correspondents' dinner shooting: Suspect described himself as 'friendly federal assassin' in letter, sources say

PHOTO: The Washington Hilton hotel is seen on Sunday, April, 26, 2026, in Washington.
3:37
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Trump recalls White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting in interview
By Christopher Watson, Kevin Shalvey
Last Updated: April 27, 2026, 9:32 AM

President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and other dignitaries are safe after a shooting incident outside the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner Saturday night at the Washington, D.C., Hilton hotel.

The incident took place near the main magnetometer screening area at the event, according to the Secret Service. A suspect, whom law enforcement authorities identified as Cole Allen of Torrance, California, is in custody, officials said.

A Secret Service agent who was wearing an armored vest was struck in the chest, President Trump said at a press briefing following the incident. The Secret Service agent suffered non life-threatening injuries, according to the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department. No one else was injured in the incident.

A motive for the attack was not immediately known.

Key Headlines

  • Suspect used stairwell out of public view to get close to ballroom, sources say
  • WHCD suspect was 'very intelligent ... normal and friendly,' say former tutoring students
  • Trump recalls shooting in interview, says he read alleged gunman's manifesto
  • Suspect described himself as 'friendly federal assassin' in letter to family, sources say
  • 'A harrowing moment': WHCA president shares statement about dinner shooting
Here's how the news is developing.

Apr 27, 2026 9:32 AM

Suspect used stairwell out of public view to get close to ballroom, sources say

Authorities believe that the suspect in the shooting at the White House correspondent’s dinner, Cole Allen, attempted to breach the ballroom after leaving his hotel room with a duffel bag with multiple weapons inside and used a stairwell out of public view to apparently avoid be being seen, according to multiple law enforcement officials.

PHOTO: Cole Tomas Allen, a suspect in the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, lies on the floor after being detained by law enforcement personnel, in Washington, April 25, 2026.
Bill Frischling/ Cq Roll Call via Reuters
Cole Tomas Allen, a suspect in the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, lies on the floor after being detained by law enforcement personnel, in Washington, April 25, 2026.
Bill Frischling/ Cq Roll Call via Reuters

The suspect apparently went down 10 flights of stairs at the Washington Hilton, according to law enforcement sources.

He emerged from the stairwell and began his full sprint, according to law enforcement sources, where he was tackled by uniformed Secret Service personnel after a brief burst of gunfire.

The details of his movements were first reported by CBS News.

-ABC News' Luke Barr and Jack Date


Apr 27, 2026 1:21 AM

WHCD suspect was 'very intelligent ... normal and friendly,' say former tutoring students

A group of high school students who were tutored by Cole Allen, the alleged suspect in the White House correspondents’ dinner shooting incident, shared a statement late Sunday describing Allen as “generally very intelligent” and “normal and friendly.”

The statement was released by Dylan Wakayama, the president of a local nonprofit organization called Asian American Civic Trust.

“According to these students, Mr. Allen was knowledgeable across a broad range of subjects and generally very intelligent,” the statement read. “They regarded him as entirely normal and friendly in their interactions. Additionally, they expressed profound shock upon learning he may be connected to the events of April 25th.”

Wakayama said he did not personally know Allen.

-ABC News' Emily Kohlberg


Apr 27, 2026 12:06 AM

Trump recalls shooting in interview, says he read alleged gunman's manifesto

President Trump spoke to senior CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell about the shooting incident at the Washington Hilton, saying he “wasn’t worried” about injures when gunshots rang out.

“I wasn't worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world,” Trump told “60 Minutes” in an interview on Sunday.

He also said he wasn't sure if he was the alleged attacker’s target, but “it sounds it to me.”

“I read a manifesto. He says he's radicalized," Trump went on. "He was a Christian, a believer, and then he became an anti-Christian. And he had a lot of change. He's been going through a lot based on what he wrote. His brother complained about him, and I think we reported him to the police ... his family was very concerned. He was, probably a pretty sick guy."

The president then recounted his memory of the incident, saying he knew something was wrong by the first lady’s facial expression.

After being ushered off the stage, Trump said he was brought to a room, where he urged Secret Service agents to let the dinner continue.

“And then I got up and we went to a hold room for a while, and I tried to get them to continue the event, if possible,” Trump said.

“You wanted to go back in?” O’Donnell asked.

“I did, I really did,” Trump remarked.

-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr and Meghan Mistry



Apr 26, 2026 9:53 PM

Former President Obama responds to shooting at White House correspondents' dinner

Former President Barack Obama responded to Saturday night's shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner, writing on X that it's essential to "reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy."

He added that the incident was a reminder of the "courage and sacrifice" that the Secret Service makes every day.

"Although we don’t yet have the details about the motives behind last night's shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it’s incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy," he said in the post. "It’s also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day. I’m grateful to them – and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay."

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie


Apr 26, 2026 1:40 PM

'The system worked,' Acting Attorney General Blanche says

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that "the system worked" and kept President Donald Trump and other leaders safe from the shooting Saturday night at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner that they were attending.

"The system worked; law enforcement and the Secret Service protected all of us. The man barely got past the perimeter. And so when you have a perimeter designed to keep people safe, like President Trump, and it works – that's something that should be applauded," Blanche told "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos.

PHOTO: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears on ABC News' "This Week" on April 26, 2026.
ABC News
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears on ABC News' "This Week" on April 26, 2026.
ABC News

Blanche said the suspect, whom law enforcement has identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen from Torrance, Calif., was likely acting alone, although investigations are ongoing.

"We believe that he traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then Chicago to Washington, D.C.," Blanche said.

Asked how the suspect may have gotten a firearm into the hotel, Blanche replied, "It's a good question. And listen, I'm not sure. It appears that he checked in on the 24th [of April] to the hotel, and we're still looking at video surveillance and footage of where he walked and how he got in and how those firearms got in, but at the end of the day, I expect we'll have a lot more about that in the coming days."

-ABC News' Oren Oppenheim


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