Secret Service Agent Was Hit by Buckshot From White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooter

Last month’s shocking attack on the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner nearly turned deadly when a man armed with guns and knives tried to storm the event. Now federal prosecutors have confirmed that a Secret Service agent was actually hit by buckshot from the attacker’s Mossberg pump-action shotgun.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, revealed on CNN’s “State of the Union” that forensic analysis found buckshot pellets embedded in the bullet-resistant vest worn by the agent. “It is definitively his bullet,” Pirro said, confirming the shot came from Cole Tomas Allen, the accused assailant.

Allen, 31, who remains in custody awaiting trial, was injured during the incident but not by gunfire. The agent survived thanks to the vest, but the attack exposed how close the event came to a massacre. Allen faces charges including attempted assassination of President Donald Trump and multiple firearms offenses that could send him to prison for life.

The incident took place at a Washington hotel on April 25, where journalists, administration officials, and others gathered for the gala. Video footage posted by Pirro shows the moment Allen charged security with weapons in hand, raising urgent questions about how he got so close to the president and press.

Allen, from Torrance, California, is a part-time test prep tutor and amateur video game developer. His motives remain unclear, but the attack underscores the dangerous climate surrounding Trump-era political events. The fact that a Secret Service agent was hit by friendly gunfire—or so some speculated—has now been definitively disproven, shining a light on the real threat posed by Allen’s assault.

This violent breach of security is yet another example of the escalating risks faced by those working in and around the Trump administration. It also raises serious concerns about the preparedness and effectiveness of protective measures at high-profile political gatherings.

As Allen awaits trial, the investigation continues to reveal the full scope of this attempted assassination plot. We will keep tracking this story as more details come to light, holding accountable those who threaten democracy and public safety.