Story perspectives

Armed Man Arrested, Agent Shot at Dinner; Trump Praises Response

4/26/2026

Summary

Story summary

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was arrested at a Secret Service checkpoint in the Washington Hilton lobby while armed.
Gunfire hit a Secret Service agent’s bullet-proof vest at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, leaving the officer unharmed.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro charged Allen with two firearm offenses and assaulting the officer.
U.S. President Donald Trump praised the Secret Service’s swift response on Truth Social, saying the agent was “doing great”.

History

Historical Context

On Oct 29 1994, Francisco Martin Duran fired 29 rounds from a Type 56 rifle at the White House, the most serious gun attack since Frank Eugene Corder’s September 1994 Cessna crash onto the South Lawn. The incident joined a series of fence-scale and aerial threats dating back to the 1970s and sparked debate over tightening White House security and traffic controls.

1 of 2

Story summary

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was arrested at a Secret Service checkpoint in the Washington Hilton lobby while armed.
Gunfire hit a Secret Service agent’s bullet-proof vest at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, leaving the officer unharmed.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro charged Allen with two firearm offenses and assaulting the officer.
U.S. President Donald Trump praised the Secret Service’s swift response on Truth Social, saying the agent was “doing great”.

1 / 2