Correspondents’ dinner shooting suspect charged with trying to assassinate Trump

WorldPolitics
28 Apr 2026 • 2:19 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Correspondents’ dinner shooting suspect charged with trying to assassinate Trump

  • The suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has been charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump, in addition to firearm charges.
  • Cole Allen, 31, appeared in court Monday where the charges against him were unveiled. He wore a blue prison jumpsuit as he made his first appearance in federal court two days after allegedly opening fire at the correspondents’ dinner.
  • "He attempted to assassinate the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump," prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine said in court.
  • Allen allegedly referred to himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin” in a manifesto left with family members. The document discussed plans to target senior Trump administration officials, police say.
  • He is believed to have traveled by train from California to Chicago and then onto Washington, where he checked himself in as a guest at the hotel where the gala dinner was being held with tight security.

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