Cole Tomas Allen faces 5 counts as grand jury adds terrorism charge

Cole Tomas Allen, charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at April's White House Correspondents' Dinner, faces a new D.C. terrorism charge after a federal grand jury acted Thursday.

Prosecutors allege Allen rushed through a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton on April 25 "armed with a 12-gauge pump action shotgun, a .38caliber pistol, multiple knives and daggers, and a significant amount of ammunition." Trump was unhurt, and he and Vice President JD Vance were rushed off the stage.

The superseding indictment was returned and unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, bringing the total to five counts. The top charge is attempting to assassinate the president.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said the new count alleges an act of terrorism while armed under D.C. law, tied to the alleged attempted first-degree murder of Trump.

The indictment alleges Allen tried to kill Trump "with the intent to influence the policy and conduct of a unit of government ... by intimidation and coercion and with the intent to intimidate and coerce a significant portion of the civilian population."

According to Headline USA, the indictment does not explain how Allen allegedly intended killing Trump to influence government policy.

The charge uses local law because federal law has no domestic terrorism statute that broadly prohibits acts of terrorism. The D.C. law was also used against Floyd Fee Corkins, who was convicted of attacking the Family Research Council in 2012.

Federal prosecutors could seek a terrorism sentencing enhancement if Allen is convicted.

Defense disputes shooting

Allen pleaded not guilty to the original charges. He has not entered a plea to the new count.

Prosecutors allege Allen shot a Secret Service officer once in the chest while running and firing the shotgun. The blast struck the officer's bulletproof vest, the New York Post reported.

Allen's lawyers disputed the allegation in an October court filing, saying video evidence does not show him firing the weapon. They said a forensic science expert they hired found that the evidence does not support the Justice Department's opinion. The lawyers said that opinion was "based on controversial science drawn from conclusions from facts that do not appear to exist in this case."

🚨In the wake of the White House Correspondents Dinner attack, there were reports that a Secret Service agent was hit by friendly fire. The DOJ says Cole Allen is the one who shot the agent, but Allen's lawyers are now casting doubt on the forensic evidence underpinning that

— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) October 22, 2026

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro was at the dinner and is overseeing the case, The Hill reported. Allen unsuccessfully sought to disqualify her as an alleged victim of the crime.

Pirro previously worked as a judge and Fox News host. The president appoints the office's leader, and its prosecutors handle federal offenses as well as most local cases involving adults.

Emails and a manifesto

Federal authorities allege Allen scheduled emails explaining his actions for delivery to his family, friends and former employer. The Hill, citing NBC News, reported that his family alerted local police after learning of his reported plans shortly before the incident.

The New York Post and The Hill reported that Allen was said to have written a manifesto expressing a desire to target Trump administration members.

"When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians. That's one thing for sure," Trump told Fox News in April, the day after the shooting.

Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is the third person charged with attempting to assassinate Trump. The previous cases arose after a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024 and an incident at a Florida golf course several months afterward.

The case has a status conference scheduled for Dec. 4. A jury trial before U.S. Judge Trevor N. McFadden is scheduled for Sept. 7, 2027.