Prosecutors release new footage of Correspondents’ Dinner suspect

Politics
1 May 2026 • 8:34 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Prosecutors release new footage of Correspondents’ Dinner suspect

  • Federal prosecutors released video footage showing Cole Allen Tomas attempting to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and shoot a U.S. Secret Service officer.
  • The incident took place at the Washington Hilton, where Tomas allegedly rushed through security with a long gun, disrupting the high-profile annual event.
  • A Secret Service officer was shot but survived due to wearing a bullet-resistant vest, while Tomas was injured but not shot during the confrontation.
  • Prosecutors revealed Tomas referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and alluded to grievances over administration actions, leading to charges including attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.
  • Tomas, who has agreed to remain in custody pending trial, faces up to life in prison if convicted of the assassination count alone.

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