Federal prosecutors have confirmed that buckshot from the weapon of a man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump struck a Secret Service agent during an attack at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, raising questions about security protocols at high-profile events protecting the nation's chief executive. The incident occurred at a Washington hotel on April 25.
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said last week there was no evidence the agent was hit by friendly fire during the incident, but she said Sunday that a shot from one of Cole Tomas Allen's weapons hit the officer's bullet-resistant vest. Pirro told CNN's "State of the Union," "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."
The Suspect and Charges
Allen remains behind bars pending trial. He was injured during the attack but was not shot, and the officer survived. 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.
Allen, 31, is from Torrance, California. He worked as a part-time tutor for a test preparation company and is an amateur video game developer. 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.
Investigation Details
On Thursday, Pirro posted a video on social media showing the moment that authorities say a man with guns and knives attempted to storm the media gala. Questions had lingered about whose bullet struck the officer as the suspect ran through security with a long gun toward the ballroom packed with journalists, administration officials and others.
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. The high-level federal response underscores the gravity of the threat and the resources required to investigate and prosecute such attacks on presidential security.
Why This Matters:
The confirmation that the Secret Service agent was struck by the attacker's weapon highlights the immediate physical dangers faced by law enforcement personnel tasked with protecting the president and the substantial costs associated with maintaining adequate security at public events. The incident demonstrates the ongoing threats to presidential security and the critical importance of effective protective measures, which require significant taxpayer investment in personnel, training, and equipment. The fact that an armed individual was able to discharge a weapon at a venue hosting the president raises questions about security screening procedures and the allocation of resources to protect high-value targets. For the Secret Service, the attack represents both a test of existing protocols and a potential catalyst for reviewing security arrangements at media events where the president appears alongside large numbers of civilians. The attempted assassination charge carries a potential life sentence, reflecting the severity with which the justice system treats threats to constitutional order and the continuity of government.