Cole Allen Motive Confirmed: He Told Investigators He Wanted to Shoot Trump Officials — Charges Filed

# Cole Allen Motive Confirmed: He Told Investigators He Wanted to Shoot Trump Officials — Charges Filed

> **Quick answer:** Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is alive and in federal custody after exchanging gunfire with Secret Service agents outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25, 2026. Two law enforcement sources told CBS News that Allen told investigators he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials. He has been charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. His arraignment is scheduled for April 27 in federal district court in Washington, D.C.

Cole Allen is not a mystery anymore. The 31-year-old Caltech graduate and California tutor who stormed a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night has told investigators exactly what he was there to do: shoot Trump administration officials. Here is everything confirmed so far — the motive, the weapons, the charges, and what comes next.

## What Investigators Say Cole Allen Told Them

According to two law enforcement sources who spoke with CBS News, Allen told investigators following his arrest that he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials. That statement is now at the center of the federal criminal case against him.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro confirmed the charges in a public statement, describing the incident as a direct attack on federal law enforcement at one of Washington's most high-profile annual events. She said the situation remains "very fluid" and that additional charges beyond the initial two are expected as investigators learn more.