Trump Assassination Attempt: What the Footage Shows at the Correspondents’ Dinner

Federal prosecutors released nearly six minutes of surveillance footage showing gunman Cole Tomas Allen casing the Washington Hilton and then rushing security with a shotgun. Here’s a minute-by-minute breakdown, and the latest on where the case stands today.

Federal prosecutors have released a chilling, nearly six-minute surveillance video showing exactly how an armed California man tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, 2026 — walking past unsuspecting officers and sprinting toward a ballroom packed with President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and hundreds of top government officials and journalists.

The video, posted publicly by U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C. Jeanine Pirro, shows Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, casually walking hotel hallways the day before the attack, checking out the gym, and methodically scoping out the security setup. Then, on the night of April 25, the footage captures him charging through a magnetometer with a 12-gauge shotgun — catching most officers off guard.

“There is no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly fire. The video also shows Allen casing the area in the Hilton Hotel the day before the attack,” Pirro wrote alongside the video.

⚡ Key Facts at a Glance

• Shooting occurred April 25, 2026 at approximately 8:40 PM ET at the Washington Hilton
• Suspect: Cole Tomas Allen, 31, mechanical engineer and tutor from Torrance, CA
• Allen was armed with a shotgun, .38 caliber pistol, and multiple knives
• One Secret Service officer was shot in the chest — saved by his bulletproof vest
• Trump, Melania, VP Vance, and Cabinet members were safely evacuated
• Allen faces 3 federal charges including attempted assassination — up to life in prison
• This was the third apparent attempt on Trump’s life since July 2024
• A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11, 2026

What the Video Actually Shows, Minute by Minute

The footage begins the evening before the attack. Allen — dressed in casual clothes — is seen walking back and forth through a hotel hallway, briefly stopping to check out the gym. Law enforcement says he was scoping out the layout, identifying security positions, and mapping his path to the ballroom.

Fast-forward to the night of April 25. The video cuts to the security checkpoint outside the ballroom’s Terrace Level entrance. About a dozen federal Secret Service officers are visible — some dismantling magnetometers, others standing casually. There is no visible sign of heightened alert.

Then Allen emerges from a doorway and begins sprinting directly toward the checkpoint. The footage shows that most officers do not react in time. Only one officer, visible in the video, had drawn his weapon before Allen broke through — and that officer, according to prosecutors, is the one who was shot and returned fire.

Six shots were fired in total: one by Allen, five by the Secret Service officer. Allen fell to the ground. He was not struck by gunfire but suffered a minor knee injury. The Secret Service officer was struck once in the chest — his bulletproof vest saved his life. A source familiar with the investigation told CBS News the shot likely struck a cellphone tucked inside the agent’s pocket.

“Cole Allen traveled across the country with deadly weapons and a plan to assassinate the President of the United States.” — U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro

Who Is Cole Tomas Allen?

By almost every outward measure, Cole Allen seemed unremarkable. He was an academic tutor at C2 Education in Torrance, California — a company that had awarded him “Teacher of the Month” in December of last year. He had a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Caltech (one of the most prestigious universities in the country, class of 2017) and finished a Master’s in computer science from Cal State Dominguez Hills in May 2025.

A pastor who knew Allen during his Caltech years told NPR he was a “nice, gentle, smart young man” who attended church services regularly. His lawyers describe him as a “devout Christian” with no prior criminal history who was “gainfully employed.”

But investigators say a very different picture emerges once you look closer. A Bluesky account believed to belong to Allen included posts sharply critical of the Trump administration, the U.S. war with Iran, and what he described as moral failures of the federal government. His manifesto, recovered by law enforcement, stated he was “no longer willing to permit” actions he attributed to the government to go unanswered — though it never mentioned Trump by name.

Just ten minutes before the attack, Allen sent a carefully planned goodbye email to his family and a former employer, with a delayed send timestamp. According to prosecutors, it read: “I wish I could have said anything earlier, but doing so would have made none of this possible. My sincerest apologies for all the trouble I’ve caused.” He signed it with the alias “Cole ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen.”

A Step-by-Step Timeline of the Attack

• Apr 6Allen makes a reservation at the Washington Hilton for April 24–26 — the exact dates of the Correspondents’ Dinner weekend.
• Apr 21Allen boards an Amtrak train in Los Angeles, traveling the Southwest Chief route to Chicago.
• Apr 23Allen arrives in Chicago and boards the Floridian train to Washington, D.C.
• Apr 24, ~1 PMAllen arrives in Washington and checks into the Washington Hilton — the same hotel hosting the Correspondents’ Dinner the next night. Surveillance video later shows him walking hallways and scouting the layout.
• Apr 25, ~8:30 PMAllen sends the goodbye email to family members with a scheduled send time, then takes a selfie in his hotel room mirror. He is dressed in black, wearing an ammunition bag, shoulder gun holster, and sheathed knife.
• ~8:40 PMAllen approaches the Terrace Level security checkpoint with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a .38 caliber pistol. He runs through the magnetometer, fires the shotgun, and is engaged by Secret Service. He is tackled to the ground and arrested.
• ~8:41 PMTrump, Melania, VP Vance, and Cabinet officials are evacuated from the ballroom. Attendees dive under tables. Five more shots are fired by the responding Secret Service officer.
• Apr 27Allen is formally charged with three federal counts: attempting to assassinate the president, transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
• May 1Prosecutors publicly release the surveillance video. Allen’s lawyers argue his intent is unclear; the defense notes his writings never named Trump directly.
• May 4A federal judge apologizes to Allen after raising “grave concerns” about his treatment in solitary confinement at D.C. jail. Allen has since been removed from suicide watch.

The Third Attempt on Trump’s Life Since 2024

The April 25 incident marks the third apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump since he returned to political life. The first occurred in July 2024 near Butler, Pennsylvania, when a shooter opened fire at a campaign rally and grazed Trump’s ear. The second came in September 2024 at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Adding to the historical weight of the moment: the Washington Hilton was also the site of the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan — making it now the scene of two separate attacks targeting sitting U.S. presidents.

The April 25 dinner was the first White House Correspondents’ Dinner Trump had attended as a sitting president. He had declined to attend during his entire first term and again in 2025.

What Trump Said — and the Jimmy Kimmel Controversy

Speaking from the White House briefing room within hours of the attack, Trump said the venue “was not a particularly secure building” and used the incident to argue for the construction of a new White House ballroom — a project that had already been mired in controversy after he ordered demolition of part of the East Wing without Congressional approval.

In a CBS News “60 Minutes” interview two days later, Trump recalled the moment the evening turned: “I heard a noise and sort of thought it was a tray.” He praised Melania for how she handled the evacuation and declined to say whether either of them was frightened: “I don’t want to say, and people don’t like having it said that they were scared.”

Trump and Melania also accused late-night host Jimmy Kimmel of inciting political violence, citing a joke Kimmel had made days earlier on his show while pretending to host the dinner, saying Melania had “a glow like an expectant widow.” The Trumps called for Kimmel to be fired from ABC. Kimmel and ABC have not commented publicly.

What Happens Next: Key Dates to Watch

Allen has not yet entered a plea and remains in federal custody at D.C. jail. His lawyers have agreed to keep him detained until trial. A preliminary hearing is set for May 11, 2026.

If convicted of the attempted presidential assassination charge alone, Allen faces up to life in prison. The two additional firearms charges carry significant additional sentences on top of that.

The Secret Service, meanwhile, is facing renewed scrutiny over the security lapses visible in the released video. The agency’s chief of communications acknowledged that “enhancements should be expected at every level” for future events of this kind.

Former President Barack Obama condemned the assassination attempt against Trump. World leaders from Ukraine, Europe, and elsewhere also issued statements of condemnation.

⚖️ The 3 Charges Allen Faces

• Count 1: Attempting to assassinate the President of the United States — up to life in prison
• Count 2: Transporting a firearm and ammunition across state lines with intent to commit a felony
• Count 3: Discharging a firearm during a crime of violence

IAmericanTimes will continue to follow this story. The preliminary hearing on May 11 is expected to bring new details about the prosecution’s evidence — including whether additional charges may be added.