Washington — Cole Allen, the man charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, allegedly bought the firearms used in the attack in 2023 and 2025 and traveled by train from the West Coast to Washington, according to newly unsealed court filings.
The unsealed materials — a criminal complaint charging Allen with three offenses and a seven-page FBI affidavit — were released after Allen’s initial federal court appearance. He faces charges of discharging a firearm during a violent crime, transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and attempting to assassinate the president.
Prosecutors say Allen reserved a three-night stay at the Washington Hilton on April 6, the site of the annual press gala that draws more than 2,500 journalists and officials. The affidavit notes Allen likely knew President Trump would attend, citing the president’s March post on Truth Social accepting the invitation.
According to the FBI agent’s affidavit, Allen left Los Angeles by train on April 21, arrived in Chicago two days later, then boarded a train bound for Washington, D.C., arriving Friday around 1 p.m. and checking in at the Hilton.
The affidavit alleges that at about 8:40 p.m. Allen “approached and ran through the magnetometer holding a long gun,” and Secret Service personnel at the security checkpoint “heard a loud gunshot.” A Secret Service officer identified in the filing as “Officer V.G.” was struck once in the chest while wearing a ballistic vest. The affidavit does not specify who fired the round that hit the officer.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters it appears law enforcement fired five shots but declined to say whether the round that hit the Secret Service officer came from Allen’s weapon. The affidavit states Officer V.G. drew his weapon and fired “multiple times” at Allen, who “fell to the ground and suffered minor injuries.” Allen was not shot, the affidavit says.
Video from CBS reporters who attended the event and a C-SPAN camera show the initial shots were fired at about 8:34 p.m.
When arrested, Allen had a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38-caliber pistol. The FBI says Allen purchased the pistol from a California dealer in October 2023 and the shotgun from a different dealer in August 2025.
Shortly before the alleged security breach, the affidavit says a scheduled email described by authorities as a “manifesto” was sent to Allen’s family and a former employer explaining the attack. Allen reportedly signed the email “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen”; agents said he had used the name “cold force” on multiple online accounts. The FBI said it found a file titled “Apology and Explanation” attached to the email, along with writings recovered at Allen’s Torrance, California, home and in his hotel room on the 10th floor of the Washington Hilton. The affidavit did not include detailed contents of those writings.
President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and numerous Cabinet officials, lawmakers, journalists and media executives were attending the event. They were evacuated from the ballroom and were not injured. The Secret Service officer wounded was released from the hospital.
By Jacob Rosen
Updated on: April 27, 2026 / 7:43 PM EDT