Gunshot at dinner may have struck officer's phone in pocket of bulletproof vest
A suspect allegedly fired a shotgun while rushing toward the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026, before tripping and being subdued by law enforcement. A Secret Service officer was struck in the chest by what may have been the blast or a projectile, possibly hitting his phone inside a bulletproof vest pocket, but was not seriously injured. Five shots were fired by the officer in response, and the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, was arrested and charged with attempting to assassinate the president. Guests inside the ballroom, including President and First Lady Trump, were evacuated or took cover during the incident.
- ▪Cole Tomas Allen, 31, traveled from California to Washington, D.C., by train carrying a shotgun, another firearm, and multiple knives.
- ▪Allen charged through a second-floor stairwell at the Hilton, discharged his shotgun, and was stopped after tripping and being tackled by officers.
- ▪A Secret Service officer was struck in the vest but not seriously injured; investigators are determining if the impact came from the shotgun blast or a projectile.
- ▪Six shots were fired in total: one by the suspect and five by the Secret Service officer; no other officers fired their weapons.
- ▪Allen was charged with attempting to assassinate the president and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, with an email indicating intent to target high-ranking officials.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Politics Gunshot at correspondents' dinner may have struck cellphone in pocket of officer's bulletproof vest, sources say By Jennifer Jacobs, Jennifer Jacobs Senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs is a senior White House reporter at CBS News. Read Full Bio Jennifer Jacobs, Pat Milton, Pat Milton Senior producer, CBS News Investigative Unit Pat Milton, an award-winning journalist, is the senior producer of the CBS News Investigative Unit, specializing in national security, the FBI, Intelligence and federal law enforcement. Read Full Bio Pat Milton, Nicole Sganga, Nicole Sganga Homeland Security and Justice Correspondent Nicole Sganga is CBS News' homeland security and justice correspondent. She is based in Washington, D.C., and reports for all shows and platforms.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at CBS News — Top.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from CBS News — Top
