Story perspectives

Shooter Injures Secret Service Officer at White House Dinner

4/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

Cole Tomas Allen opened fire on Washington Hilton terrace during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, hitting a Secret Service officer.
Allen called himself a “friendly federal assassin” in a manifesto sent to his family before the attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump praised Secret Service response on Truth Social and urged funding for Homeland Security.
Allen, who possessed a legally purchased shotgun and .38-caliber pistol, remains in custody awaiting a hearing.

History

Historical Context

The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing by Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people, caused about $652 million in damage and spurred the 1996 Antiterrorism Act and over $600 million in federal-building security upgrades. The May 13 2024 Washington Hilton shooting by Cole Tomas Allen, which wounded a Secret Service officer, echoes those lingering venue-security gaps and renews calls for further protective measures.

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Story summary

Cole Tomas Allen opened fire on Washington Hilton terrace during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, hitting a Secret Service officer.
Allen called himself a “friendly federal assassin” in a manifesto sent to his family before the attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump praised Secret Service response on Truth Social and urged funding for Homeland Security.
Allen, who possessed a legally purchased shotgun and .38-caliber pistol, remains in custody awaiting a hearing.

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