An armed intruder attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026, forcing a sudden evacuation of President Donald Trump and hundreds of attendees. The high-profile annual gala, often called the Nerd Prom, was disrupted just twenty minutes after the presidential arrival.
Federal authorities identified the suspect as thirty-one-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California. Investigators confirmed that Allen, a Caltech graduate, arrived heavily armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives as he rushed the primary security perimeter.
U.S. Secret Service agents intercepted the armed suspect inside the hotel lobby before he could breach the crowded ballroom. A violent physical struggle ensued, during which gunfire was exchanged, resulting in injuries to both the suspect and a federal law enforcement officer.