A Secret Service agent was struck by buckshot from the weapon of a man who attempted to storm the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in what authorities are calling an attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, underscoring the deadly risks faced by law enforcement officers protecting public officials and the press.
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, confirmed Sunday that a pellet from Cole Tomas Allen's Mossberg pump-action shotgun struck the officer's bullet-resistant vest during the attack at a Washington hotel on April 25. "We now can establish that a pellet that came from the buckshot from the defendant's Mossberg pump-action shotgun was intertwined with the fiber of the vest of the Secret Service officer. It is definitively his bullet," Pirro told CNN's "State of the Union."
The officer survived the attack, and Allen was injured during the incident but was not shot. Allen, 31, is from Torrance, California, and worked as a part-time tutor for a test preparation company and is an amateur video game developer. He remains behind bars pending trial.
The Attack and Its Aftermath
Authorities say Allen ran through security with a long gun toward the ballroom packed with journalists, administration officials and others. On Thursday, Pirro posted a video on social media showing the moment that a man with guns and knives attempted to storm the media gala. Questions had lingered about whose bullet struck the officer during the chaotic confrontation.
Pirro said last week there was no evidence the agent was hit by friendly fire during the incident. The news conference at the Department of Justice on Monday, April 27, 2026, included Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and FBI Director Kash Patel.
Legal Proceedings
Allen has been charged with attempted assassination of the president, as well as two additional firearms counts, including discharging a weapon during a crime of violence. He faces up to life in prison if convicted of the assassination count alone. His attorneys on Sunday filed a document with the court saying they learned he was no longer on suicide watch and sought to withdraw a motion formally seeking to remove him from such supervision.
Why This Matters:
The attack on the White House Correspondents' Association dinner represents a direct threat not only to the president but to the free press and the democratic tradition of journalists gathering with government officials. The fact that a Secret Service agent was struck by gunfire while protecting attendees highlights the personal risks borne by law enforcement personnel in defending public institutions and events. The incident raises urgent questions about security protocols at high-profile gatherings where journalists, elected officials, and administration members convene—events that are essential to democratic accountability and transparency. The ability of an armed individual to penetrate security at such a gathering, even briefly, underscores the need for robust protective measures that balance openness with safety, particularly in an era of heightened threats against both public officials and the media.