Story perspectives

Cole Allen’s Hotel Selfies Reveal Armed Attack, Officer Survives

4/30/2026

Summary

Story summary

Federal prosecutors released hotel-mirror selfies showing Cole Allen armed minutes before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack.
A Secret Service officer survived a shotgun blast thanks to a ballistic vest and is expected to recover.
Allen carried a Mossberg 12-gauge pump-action shotgun with eight live rounds, a loaded 1911 .38-caliber pistol, knives, and, minutes before the attempt, tracked President Donald Trump’s movements and emailed apologies to friends and family.

History

Historical Context

On September 5 1975, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme pointed a Colt .45 M1911 at President Gerald Ford in Sacramento, but the gun did not fire. The attempt, followed weeks later by Sara Jane Moore’s, led the Secret Service to increase crowd distance. The 2024 White House Correspondents’ Dinner breach by Cole Allen, wielding a 12-gauge shotgun with eight rounds, echoes pattern and fuels calls for stronger security and gun-access laws.

1 of 2

Story summary

Federal prosecutors released hotel-mirror selfies showing Cole Allen armed minutes before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack.
A Secret Service officer survived a shotgun blast thanks to a ballistic vest and is expected to recover.
Allen carried a Mossberg 12-gauge pump-action shotgun with eight live rounds, a loaded 1911 .38-caliber pistol, knives, and, minutes before the attempt, tracked President Donald Trump’s movements and emailed apologies to friends and family.

1 / 2