Last UpdateApril 26, 2026, 2:11 PM EDT

Authorities have identified 31-year-old Cole Allen as the suspect who breached security at the Washington Hilton, wounding a Secret Service agent before being tackled. As President Trump calls for a permanent return to White House-based events, the FBI has moved to secure the suspect’s home in Torrance, California.

Covered by: Stephen Sorace, Michael Sinkewicz, Asra Q. Nomani, Amanda Macias, Bill Melugin, Greg Wehner and Bonny Chu

WHAT TO KNOW

• Cole Allen, 31, from Torrance, California is the man accused of opening fire at the Washington Hilton Hotel during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
• The suspect is in custody as authorities are continuing to investigate a motive for the shooting.
• President Donald Trump was whisked away from the Washington Hilton Hotel by Secret Service along with First Lady Melania Trump and other high-level cabinet officials.

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3 hours ago

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Security under scrutiny as WHCD attendees cite inconsistent screening before shooting

Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is raising new questions about security at one of Washington’s most high-profile events.

The annual gathering at the Washington Hilton brings together the president, lawmakers and journalists under heavy protection. While the Secret Service moved quickly to secure President Donald Trump and other officials, accounts from attendees and lawmakers suggest a more complicated picture.

Misha Komadovsky, a journalist for Germany’s DW, said a paper ticket was “the only thing required” to access the ballroom, adding there was no screening before entering the lobby.

ABC News reporter Beatrice Peterson, a longtime attendee, said security appeared consistent with past years. But Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., described “glaring security issues,” citing no photo ID checks, no magnetometers and multiple pre-event receptions with limited screening.

The incident is now prompting fresh scrutiny of access control at large, semi-public events, with calls for a broader review of screening protocols, coordination between agencies and whether venues like the Hilton can safely host gatherings of this scale.

Posted by Amanda Macias

2 hours ago

White House Correspondents’ Association releases statement after ‘harrowing’ shooting

President Donald Trump reacts in the background as CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang speaks during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., April 25, 2026. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)

The White House Correspondents’ Association(WHCA) said its board will meet to assess the shooting that unfolded at White House Correspondents’ Dinner and determine how to move forward.

WHCA President Weijia Jiang said in a statement that the shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel was “a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance.”

“We express our deepest gratitude to the U.S. Secret Service and all law enforcement personnel who ensured the safety of everyone in the ballroom and beyond,” the statement said. “Their actions protected thousands of guests, and we wish a full and speedy recovery to the officer who was injured in the line of duty. We are grateful everyone in attendance was unharmed, including the President, the First Lady, and the Vice President.”

 “Our dinner exists to celebrate the First Amendment and the hard daily work of the journalists who defend it,” it continued. “Last night, those journalists showed exactly the kind of calm and courage that work demands, jumping into reporting immediately after the incident unfolded. We are proud of everyone in that room.”

Jiang said the WHCA will provide updates as soon as any are available.

Posted by Stephen Sorace

4 hours ago

Fetterman demands Trump critics ‘drop the TDS,’ support construction of White House ballroom

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., walks following a shooting incident during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., April 25, 2026. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., is calling on the opponents of President Donald Trump to abandon their Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) and back the construction of a White House ballroom following a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Fetterman was attending the dinner at the Washington Hilton when a gunman opened fire inside the venue, where Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other senior Cabinet officials were also present.

“We were there front and center,” the Democrat said in a post on X.

“That venue wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the U.S. government,” Fetterman continued. “After witnessing last night, drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these.”

The shooting has renewed attention on Trump’s push for a secure White House ballroom.

Trump told Jacqui Heinrich, Fox News senior White House correspondent and co-anchor of “The Sunday Briefing,” that the ballroom is “ahead of schedule and right on budget”

“It’s going to be a magnificent building,” Trump said on “The Sunday Briefing.” “But it was also designed in conjunction with the military and in conjunction with Secret Service. It’s got every single bell and whistle you can possibly have for security and safety. And we’ll have that done very much on time, even ahead of schedule.”

Trump said the ballroom is expected to be ready in 2028, likely during the final months of his term.

Posted by Stephen Sorace

5 hours ago

Trump says he hopes to hold WHCD soon: ‘Can’t let these criminals … change the course of events’

President Donald Trump on Sunday said that the White House Correspondents’ Dinner will be rescheduled, declaring that “really bad people” like the gunman who forced its cancelation can’t be allowed to “change the course of events in our country.”

Trump provided details about when the dinner may happen to Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich during “The Sunday Briefing.”

“Now I hope that we can have it within a short period of time, whether it’s 30 days or a little less, a little more,” Trump said. “But I hope we can do it with that, because we can’t let these criminals and these really bad people change the course of events in our country.”

“We had a record crowd last night,” he continued. “And you and the people that put it on did a fantastic job, really, but that all of these people would have to leave, you know, it’s just. For what? For one nut. The one guy that is really I mean, look, he’s very he’s a very disturbed person.”

When asked for how long the suspected shooter may have been planning the attack, Trump said the suspected shooter “had a lot of hatred in his heart for quite a while” and described him as “strongly anti-Christian.”

“That family knew that he had difficulty, and his family seemed to be, I think, they spent a lot of time with his family, his family said he had big difficulty,” Trump said. “Maybe they should have reported him a little bit more strongly. Probably, but it’s a hard thing to do, I guess.”

Posted by Stephen Sorace

5 hours ago

White House shares new details about suspect Cole Allen, his alleged manifesto

The White House on Sunday shared new details about Cole Allen, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect, and what his family members have told investigators since the incident.

Allen’s brother had notified New London Police Department in Connecticut that Allen had sent family members an alleged before the shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel, the White House said.

The alleged written manifesto clearly stated he wanted to target administration officials, according to the White House, and Allen also had anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on his social media accounts.

President Donald Trump told Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing” that the alleged manifesto shows “he hates Christians.”

“The guy is a sick guy,” Trump said. “When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians. That’s one thing for sure. He hates Christians, a hatred. And I think his sister or his brother actually was complaining about it. You know, they were even complaining to law enforcement. So he was, he was a very troubled guy.”

Allen’s sister, Avriana Allen, told Secret Service and Montgomery County Police during an interview at her home in Rockville, Md, that her brother has made radical statements and used rhetoric that constantly referenced a plan to do “something” to fix the issues with today’s world, according to the White House.

She also confirmed that Allen purchased two handguns and a shotgun from Cap Tactical Firearms and kept them stored at their parent’s home, noting that their parents were unaware of the weapons being kept at their home.

Avriana Allen said that her brother would regularly go to the shooting range to train with his firearms, adding that he was a member of a group called “The Wide Awakes” and that he had attended a “No Kings” protest in California at some point.

Reporting by Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich.

Posted by Stephen Sorace

6 hours ago

WHCD shooting suspect appeared to travel to DC by train, acting AG Todd Blanche says

Investigators have learned how the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect may have traveled across the country from California to Washington, D.C., acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche told “Fox News Sunday.”

“What they’ve learned just overnight is that it appears he traveled from Los Angeles through Chicago to Washington, D.C., and it appears that he traveled by train during both legs of that trip,” Blanche said. “The investigation is rapidly developing, and I expect by the time formal charges are filed, which will likely be tomorrow morning, we will have a better sense of what happened.”

Blanche also told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that investigators believe the suspect was targeting Trump administration officials.

“We believe that he was targeting administration officials in this attempted attack, but that’s, again, quite preliminary as law enforcement continues to go through all the evidence,” Blanche said.

Authorities have identified the shooting suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen.

The FBI and local law enforcement were seen overnight securing a street in Torrance, California, where the suspect’s home is believed to be located.

Posted by Stephen Sorace

7 hours ago

WHCD suspect told law enforcement he planned to ‘shoot Trump administration officials’: sources

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect told law enforcement after his arrest Saturday night that he was targeting Trump administration officials, senior federal law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation told Fox News.

Cole Allen said he planned to “shoot Trump administration officials,” the sources said.

Authorities have said Allen rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at the event at the Washington Hilton hotel while armed with multiple weapons. He then opened fire, striking a Secret Service officer in his ballistic vest.

Agents fired back at Allen, who was not struck. Both the Secret Service officer and Allen were taken to the hospital.

The FBI and local law enforcement secured the suspect’s home in Torrance, California, overnight, Fox News previously learned.

A federal judge in the Central District of California is expected to sign a search warrant, the U.S. Attorney’s Office told Fox News. Once the warrant is approved, the FBI will be able to search the suspect’s home. Obtaining the warrant could take several hours.

Fox News’ Matt Finn, along with Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace, Peter D’Abrosca and Asra Q. Nomani contributed to this report.

Posted by Bill Melugin

7 hours ago

Trump calls to ‘immediately’ drop legal challenges to White House ballroom after WHCD shooting

Demolition of the White House East Wing during construction of a new ballroom extension in Washington, D.C., Dec. 9, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump called for legal challenges to the proposed White House ballroom to be “immediately” dropped, arguing the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner highlights longstanding security concerns with hosting large, high-profile events outside White House grounds.

The annual dinner, held at the Washington Hilton in D.C., draws journalists, government officials and celebrities.

“What happened last night is exactly the reason that our great Military, Secret Service, [and] Law Enforcement … have been demanding that a large, safe, and secure ballroom be built on the grounds of the White House,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

He added that the incident “would never have happened” if the ballroom currently under construction had already been completed, describing the planned venue as having “the highest level security features” and being located within the White House complex, inside what he called “the most secure building in the world.”

Trump said the project should not face further delays, emphasizing that it is “on budget and substantially ahead of schedule,” and reiterating that legal challenges “must be dropped, immediately.” 

Posted by Amanda Macias

7 hours ago

Former Trump aide describes security at Washington Hilton hotel before shooting

A former aide to President Donald Trump attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner told “FOX & Friends” that he noticed the hotel hosting the event was lacking security buffers at certain points.

Harrison Fields, a former White House principal deputy press secretary, said “there were no checkpoints to get into the hotel,” adding that the gunman could have been roaming and watching those in attendance at the Washington Hilton hotel.

“There was a VIP reception right off the main ballroom where Cabinet secretaries were, where the president could have been — and there was no security apparatus leading up to that point,” Fields said.

“We have to agree that the Secret Service and local law enforcement took immediate steps to keep us safe — but was no real buffer, and that was one of the immediate feelings I felt as soon as I walked into the hotel,” he continued.

The Hilton hotel has hosted the dinner for years and usually remains open to regular guests during the event. Security has typically been focused on the ballroom rather than the hotel at large, with little screening for people not entering the dinner itself.

That security framework has created openings for disruptions in the lobby and other public spaces, including protests in which security moved to remove guests who unfurled banners or staged demonstrations.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. outside the Hilton — an event that prompted redesigns of the property that increased security and added a special presidential suite near the entrance where chief executives could be taken. Trump was whisked away there briefly after the shots were fired Saturday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this post.

Posted by Stephen Sorace

8 hours ago

Shooting at WHCA dinner venue brings new attention to Trump’s White House ballroom

A rendering of the proposed White House ballroom. (White House / Fox News)

The Saturday night shooting at the D.C. hotel hosting the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner has renewed attention on President Donald Trump’s push for a secure White House ballroom, which he says would make events like this safer.

In response to the incident, Trump criticized the current hotel setting as lacking adequate security and used it to underscore his push for a new ballroom designed with reinforced materials and other protective features.

The new ballroom, however, is facing both legal and political challenges. Courts are considering whether the administration sidestepped required approval processes, while critics are raising concerns about the cost and the potential effects on the historic White House grounds.

The proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom would accommodate roughly 650 guests and replace the East Wing, representing a significant alteration to the White House layout. Supporters describe it as a security-focused upgrade largely funded by private sources, while opponents argue it’s an unnecessary and disruptive change.

Although the White House has long hosted major events, it has never included a dedicated ballroom. 

Posted by Amanda Macias

8 hours ago

Italy’s Meloni reaffirms solidarity with Trump and Vance, slams ‘poison’ of political fanaticism

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner an attack on open political discourse, reaffirming her unity with President Donald Trump and other administration leaders.

“I wish to express my full solidarity and most sincere closeness to President Trump, to First Lady Melania, to Vice President Vance, and to all those present for what happened at last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” Meloni wrote in Italian on X.

“No political hatred can find space in our democracies,” the prime minister continued. “We will not allow fanaticism to poison the places of free debate and information. The defense of the culture of confrontation must remain the insurmountable bulwark against every intolerant drift, to safeguard the values that found our Nations.” 

Meloni, like some other European leaders, has developed a frosty relationship with Trump over the ongoing war with Iran. 

Posted by Stephen Sorace

8 hours ago

Starmer says ‘huge relief’ Trump, others safe after shots fired at WHCD

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, expressing relief that President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and other senior officials were all safe.

“I am shocked by the scenes at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington overnight,” Starmer said. “Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. It is a huge relief that @POTUS, the First Lady and all those attending are safe.”

Starmer’s message comes amid his icy relationship with Trump over the United States’ ongoing war with Iran.

Posted by Stephen Sorace

9 hours ago

Online posts crisscross the globe to shape anti-American propaganda after Washington Hilton shooting

Secret service agents respond during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Within minutes of reports that shots had been fired at the Washington Hilton Hotel during the White House Correspondents Dinner, adversarial voices began seeding anti-American narratives across messaging channels crisscrossing the globe. 

At 9:10 p.m., members of an anti-American Telegram channel called “ResistanceTrench” quickly started swapping their spin on the narrative, one user posting support for the shooting, saying, “Let’s goo [sic] civil war time.” 

The next minute, another user responded: “Maybe first shots of the revolution?” 

The first user quickly escalated: “I think where [sic] witnessing beginning of the American civil war to be frankly honest. They might blame it on iran [sic] but it’s obvious all the shooting and attack in america is leading towards civil war.”

The rapid cascade of posts — blending speculation, mockery and preemptive geopolitical framing — illustrates how moments of domestic crisis are quickly weaponized in the modern information environment, where loosely networked actors and ideological adversaries race to define the narrative before facts are established, often amplifying themes of instability, distrust and the inevitability of conflict and “civil war” in the United States.

Others on the Telegram channel mocked the unfolding situation in real time. “Are they dead ass carrying him?” one user asked of the Secret Service scurrying President Donald Trump out of the room. 

Another dismissed the incident as staged: “Let’s see who they blame this on this fake soap opera.” 

The speculation quickly turned geopolitical to anti-Israel rhetoric with a user declaring: “Within hours, expect Zionist accusations that Iran is behind the shooting.”

Some posts veered callously into ridicule and derision. One user claimed, “Erica Kirk was crying leaving the scene,” with a laughing emoji, while another jeered at those evacuating: “Bunch of f***ing cowards,” using the full expletive. 

By 9:34 p.m., still another mocked the situation, joking, “The shooters [sic] shirt will have the words ‘Strait outta hormuz’ written on them,” a twist on the popular rap T-shirt, “Straight outta Compton.”

Leftists in the U.S. quickly shared video footage from the chaos, including a livestream of self-declared Marxist influencer Hasan Piker, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, shouting, “Shots fired!…What the f***!” saying the full expletive. 

Posted by Asra Q. Nomani

9 hours ago

UAE condemns ‘heinous’ attack at WH Correspondent’s Dinner; pledges solidarity with US

U.S. Secret Service agents surround President Donald Trump after a shooting incident outside the ballroom during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The United Arab Emirates has condemned the shooting that happened at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, calling it an attack against President Donald Trump that threatens global stability.

“The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the armed attack targeting His Excellency Donald Trump, President of the friendly United States of America, expressing its profound regret over the occurrence of this heinous crime,” the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The ministry said it further denounced all such criminal acts, forms of violence, extremism and terrorism “that seek to undermine security and stability.”

The ministry also affirmed its solidarity with Trump and his family, along with the U.S. government and its people.

Authorities are continuing to investigate a motive for the shooting.

Posted by Stephen Sorace

9 hours ago

FBI secures alleged home of suspect in WHCD shooting, search warrant pending

FBI Agents assemble outside of a residence in Torrance, California connected to Cole Allen who is the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents; Dinner in DC on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Louise Barnsley/Splash News for Fox News Digital)

The suspected home of the man accused in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting has been secured by the FBI and local law enforcement, Fox News has learned.

The suspect was identified as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, according to a law enforcement briefing to Fox News Digital.

A federal judge in the Central District of California is expected to sign a search warrant, the U.S. Attorney’s Office told Fox News.Once the warrant is approved, the FBI will be able to search the suspect’s home. Obtaining the warrant could take several hours.

Fox News correspondent Matt Finn contributed to this report.

Posted by Michael Sinkewicz