The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday released new surveillance video showing 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen allegedly scouting the Washington Hilton hotel the day before he attempted to breach a security checkpoint during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, 2026.
The nearly six-minute compilation, posted to X by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, includes two distinct segments. The first shows Allen calmly walking the hotel hallways and briefly entering the gym area on April 24—the day after he checked into the Hilton for a three-night stay. Prosecutors described the footage as Allen “casing the area” in preparation for the attack.
The second segment captures the dramatic moment on April 25 at approximately 8:40 p.m. Allen is seen sprinting through a set of double doors on the Terrace Level, holding a long gun—identified by investigators as a 12-gauge shotgun—while rushing a magnetometer checkpoint leading to the ballroom where President Donald Trump and hundreds of guests were gathered. Video shows him running past security personnel as agents react and draw their weapons. A loud gunshot is heard in court documents, after which a Secret Service officer wearing a ballistic vest was struck once in the chest. The officer returned fire, but Allen was not shot; he suffered minor injuries during the takedown and was quickly subdued by agents.
According to the Justice Department, Allen had traveled cross-country by train from his home in Torrance, California, after reserving the hotel room on April 6. He faces federal charges including attempted assassination of the president, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition. Court records confirm he legally purchased the shotgun in August 2025 and a .38-caliber pistol years earlier.
The incident lasted roughly seven seconds from the time Allen burst through the doors until he was apprehended, authorities said. No other injuries were reported, and the dinner proceeded after a brief disruption.
The footage, already provided to federal court, has intensified public scrutiny of the security perimeter at the high-profile annual event. Pirro emphasized in her post that the video clearly shows Allen firing first and that there is “no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly fire.”
Allen remains in custody pending further proceedings. The release of the video comes amid ongoing investigation into his motives, with sources noting he sent a manifesto to family members shortly before the attack.
SOURCES:
DOJ video shows suspect rushing security checkpoint before WHCD shooting | Fox News
Office of Public Affairs | Suspect in White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Charged with Attempt to Assassinate the President | United States Department of Justice
New video shows correspondents’ dinner suspect shooting officer, top prosecutor says
New Cole Allen video raises questions about Trump dinner shooting – Newsweek
DOJ video shows suspect firing at Secret Service agent
