Trump and His Officials 'Likely' Targets of Suspected Gunman, Acting Attorney General Says
Acting AG Todd Blanche tells multiple news programmes that Caltech-educated suspect Cole Tomas Allen appeared to be targeting Trump administration officials — and likely Trump himself — but cautions the investigation remains in its earliest stages and the suspect is refusing to cooperate.
Secret Service agents swarmed the Washington Hilton ballroom moments after shots were fired at the security checkpoint outside · AP / Reuters / NATFLIX
🔎 What We Know Right Now
- Acting AG Todd Blanche says suspect "likely" targeted Trump and administration officials — but stresses findings are "quite preliminary."
- Suspect Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is NOT cooperating with investigators.
- Allen traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago to Washington, D.C. He checked into the Washington Hilton on Friday — one day before the attack.
- Allen is a Caltech mechanical engineering graduate and computer science master's holder; worked as a teacher and indie game developer.
- Allen donated $25 to ActBlue for the Kamala Harris presidential campaign in October 2024 — his only recorded political donation.
- FBI agents assembled overnight outside Allen's home in Torrance; investigators are reviewing "some writings" linked to him.
- Allen faces arraignment Monday on two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of assault on a federal officer.
- One Secret Service agent shot in the chest; saved by bulletproof vest. Expected to make a full recovery. Trump personally called him.
The man who charged through a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night was most likely targeting President Donald Trump and members of his administration, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday morning — marking a chilling escalation in the investigation into what the White House has called the third assassination attempt of Trump's political career.
Appearing on a series of Sunday morning news programmes including CNN's State of the Union, NBC's Meet the Press, ABC's This Week, and CBS's Face the Nation, Blanche repeatedly used the word "likely" while emphasising that investigators are still in the very early stages of determining a motive. The suspect — identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California — is not cooperating with the investigation, Blanche confirmed, adding that a full picture of his intentions could take several days to emerge.
What the Acting AG Said — In His Own Words
"We believe he was targeting administration officials in this attack, attempted attack — but that's again, quite preliminary. Those officials 'likely' include the US president, but I want to wait and not get ahead of us on that."
— Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, NBC's Meet the Press, April 26, 2026On CNN's State of the Union, Blanche painted a picture of a security response that, despite its terrifying nature, he insisted worked as intended. "From what we know from video surveillance and from witnesses who were there, he barely got past the perimeter," Blanche said. "He was immediately subdued, and yes, he got off a couple shots." When CNN's Dana Bash pressed him on whether the incident represented a security failure, Blanche pushed back firmly. "The goal is not to stop every single thing; it's to create a very safe and very secure environment, which is what happened last night. Make no mistake about it — the Secret Service did their jobs."
Blanche also confirmed that law enforcement is currently examining "some writings" linked to Allen, and speaking to people who knew him, as part of the effort to establish a motive. He said he did not believe there was any connection between the attack and the ongoing Iran War. Allen bought the two firearms he carried — a shotgun and a handgun — within the past couple of years, according to Blanche.
How Allen Got There: A Train Across America
One of the most striking details to emerge Sunday morning was the calculated, premeditated nature of Allen's journey to Washington. Blanche told multiple programmes that investigators believe Allen traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then from Chicago to Washington, D.C., before checking into the Washington Hilton hotel — the very venue hosting the dinner — on Friday, one day before the attack.
The fact that Allen was already inside the hotel as a guest is among the central security questions now being asked. It raises serious questions about the screening process for hotel guests in the days preceding such a high-profile event, and how Allen was able to smuggle a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives into the building without being detected.
"This individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could."
— US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro, press conference, April 25, 2026Who Is Cole Tomas Allen? A Profile Emerges
The picture emerging of Allen is one that has confounded investigators and those who knew him — a highly intelligent, academically accomplished young man with no criminal record and no prior contact with law enforcement.
🔍 Suspect Profile — Cole Tomas Allen, 31
| Full Name | Cole Tomas Allen |
| Age | 31 years old |
| Hometown | Torrance, California (Los Angeles suburb) |
| High School | Pacific Lutheran High School, Gardena, California; described by classmates as a "borderline genius" |
| Education | B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Caltech (2017); M.S. Computer Science, Cal State Dominguez Hills (May 2025) |
| Employment | Part-time teacher, C2 Education (named "Teacher of the Month," Dec. 2024); indie video game developer; former mechanical engineer, IJK Controls |
| Notable Project | Developed wheelchair emergency brake prototype (Caltech, 2017); published indie game "Bohrdom" on Steam for $1.99 |
| Political Activity | Donated $25 to ActBlue for Harris for President, Oct. 2024 — his only recorded political donation |
| Criminal Record | None. Not known to DC Metro Police prior to the attack. |
| Cooperation | Not cooperating with investigators |
| Weapons | Shotgun, handgun, multiple knives — purchased within the past couple of years |
| Charges | 2 counts: using a firearm during a crime of violence; 1 count: assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon |
| Arraignment | Monday, April 27, 2026 |
A former high school volleyball teammate who spoke to NBC News on condition of anonymity described Allen as a "borderline genius" who was "super stable." The teammate recalled that while other students struggled with coursework, Allen absorbed it effortlessly — "He didn't have to study. It would just come to him. He was really, really smart." Allen was especially known for his interest in coding, computers, and writing.
At Caltech, Allen was featured in a local news report in 2017 for developing a prototype emergency brake for wheelchairs — a project that won a robotics competition. His LinkedIn profile described him as a game developer, engineer, scientist and teacher, with his stated interests under "Causes" listed simply as: "Science and Technology." During his undergraduate years, he was a member of the Caltech Christian Fellowship and the Caltech Nerf Club.
His only recorded political activity was a $25 donation to a Democratic PAC supporting Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential campaign — a single data point that investigators say does not yet illuminate his intentions.
What Happened Inside the Washington Hilton
- Friday, April 24 Cole Tomas Allen checks into the Washington Hilton — the venue for the White House Correspondents' Dinner — under his own name. He is believed to have arrived in Washington by train from Chicago, having departed from Los Angeles.
- Saturday Evening — The Dinner Begins President Trump, First Lady Melania, Vice President JD Vance, and senior Cabinet officials including Education Secretary Linda McMahon and RFK Jr. are seated in the Washington Hilton ballroom for the annual press dinner — the first attended by Trump as a sitting president.
- During Dinner — The Attack Allen charges the magnetometer security checkpoint near the stairs leading down to the ballroom, carrying a shotgun in his hand and armed with a handgun and multiple knives. A video shared by Trump on Truth Social shows Allen running past armed security officers. He fires several shots and exchanges gunfire with law enforcement.
- Subdued — Seconds Later Allen is immediately tackled and taken to the ground by law enforcement officers. He is not struck by gunfire but sustains injuries in the confrontation. A Secret Service agent is shot in the chest; his bulletproof vest saves his life. Trump personally calls the agent afterward.
- Ballroom Chaos Guests hear shots and smell gunpowder. Al Jazeera producer Chris Sheridan and CBS's Olivia Rinaldi both drop to the floor. C-SPAN's live feed captures guests diving under tables. Secret Service floods the room with weapons drawn. Trump, Melania, Vance, and all Cabinet members are evacuated safely through the rear of the hotel.
- Trump Addresses the Nation At a late-night press conference at the White House, Trump calls Allen a "lone wolf" and a "whack job," thanks the Secret Service, confirms the injured agent is "doing great," and pledges to reschedule the dinner. He calls on Americans to "resolve differences peacefully."
- Sunday Morning — FBI Investigation FBI agents assemble overnight outside Allen's home in Torrance. Acting AG Blanche appears on four Sunday news programmes to disclose that Allen likely targeted Trump and his officials. Allen's "writings" are under examination. He is not cooperating with investigators.
Security Debate: Failure or Success?
The attack has reignited a fierce debate about the adequacy of presidential security — not for the first time during Trump's political career. Former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, while praising the outcome, told CNN that difficult questions remain. "Despite the great result, they'd probably do well to ask themselves some questions about how they should think about this in the future. He got pretty far beyond the perimeter established by security," McCabe said.
Key Security Questions Under Investigation
- Hotel Access: How did Allen check into the Washington Hilton — the dinner venue — one day before the event without triggering any security alert?
- Weapons Smuggled In: How did Allen bring a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives into the hotel undetected?
- Perimeter Distance: Allen breached the outer security checkpoint; how close did he get to the ballroom and the president?
- "Writings" Under Review: What do Allen's personal writings reveal about his planning and motive?
- No Prior Watchlist: Allen had no criminal record and was unknown to DC Metro Police. Should intelligence agencies have flagged him earlier?
- Iran War Connection: Blanche says he does not believe there is a link to the Iran War — but investigators have not ruled it out entirely.
Blanche maintained Sunday that the Secret Service's response vindicated the system. "The goal is not expected to stop every single thing," he said — a framing that is likely to be contested in the congressional hearings that are already being discussed on Capitol Hill.
A Nation's Reckoning
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X Saturday night: "The violence and chaos in America must end." The sentiment was bipartisan — Republican senators and Democratic leaders alike issued statements Sunday condemning the attack and expressing relief that Trump and his officials escaped unharmed.
Trump, for his part, offered a measured appeal in the immediate aftermath. "I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts in resolving our differences peacefully," he said. But the president also made clear that the security posture around him must now reach unprecedented levels. "Today, we need levels of security that probably nobody has ever seen before," he told reporters — a sobering observation from a man who has now survived three separate assassination attempts in the span of two years.
Cole Tomas Allen will be arraigned in a Washington federal court on Monday morning. The charges he faces carry significant prison time. Whether his motive is ever fully understood — or whether he chooses to speak at all — remains the central question hanging over one of the most alarming nights in the modern history of American democracy.
0 Comments