(The Center Square) – The man accused of storming the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been charged with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.
Cole Tomas Allen appeared in federal court on Monday in Washington, D.C., after being taken into custody on Saturday following the shooting. Allen faces three charges including attempted assassination, transporting firearms across state lines, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
TODAY: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced three federal charges against WHCD Gunman Cole Tomas Allen:
Count 1: Attempted assassination of the President of the United States (punishable by up to life in prison)
Count 2: Interstate transportation of a firearm to… pic.twitter.com/B6R8rzoAkk
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) April 27, 2026
Allen, a resident of Torrance, California, did not enter a plea during the brief hearing. He is believed to have traveled by train from California to Chicago and then onto Washington, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.
The charge of attempting to assassinate a sitting U.S. president carries as much as life in prison, if convicted. Discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence also carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years if convicted.
