Harrowing moment gun-wielding shooter Cole Tomas Allen stormed past security at White House Correspondents' Dinner

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:39, 26 April 2026 | Updated: 12:58, 26 April 2026 Chilling surveillance footage captured the moment gun-wielding shooter Cole Tomas Allen stormed past security at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.  Allen, 31, was seen wearing all black as he sprinted inside the Washington Hilton hotel on Saturday evening with a gun in hand, video posted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social showed.  Just moments before he ran, security guards were seen standing in the hallway, but as soon as he sped by, they reacted and pulled out their firearms. The clip ended with several armed guards rushing toward Allen before he exchanged gunfire with authorities.  Allen, a teacher from Torrance, California, was then tackled to the ground and arrested.   The dinner was barely underway when the Secret Service was forced to leap into action after a series of shots rang out.  The suspect is being charged with two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. He is expected to be arraigned in federal court on Monday. Harrowing surveillance footage captured the moment gun-wielding shooter Cole Tomas Allen stormed past security at the White House Correspondents' Dinner Allen, a teacher from Torrance, California, was tackled to the ground and arrested after running past security with a gun in hand  If convicted, Allen could face 20 years in jail for the assault, while the weapons charges come with a minimum of ten years, with a possibility of life behind bars.  Along with the footage, other images showed chaos quickly unfolding, with one picture showing House Speaker Mike Johnson being rushed out of the venue by Secret Service members.  Another image showed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Cheryl Hines ducking as they ran to safety.  Right behind them was Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and his wife Katie Miller.  In another picture, several Secret Service agents were seen with their guns drawn as they gave people orders.  After everyone inside was rushed to safety, including Trump and First Lady Melania, the president revealed what his wife told him just before bullets were fired.  'It's always shocking when something like this happens,' the President said at a White House press briefing in the West Wing within an hour of the violence. 'The fact that we were sitting next to each other, the first lady on my right, and I heard a noise,' Trump said, adding they thought 'it was either a tray or a bullet.' House Speaker Mike Johnson being rushed out of the venue by secret service members Allen is seen after he was tackled to the ground and handcuffed by authorities 'I heard a noise and kinda thought it was a tray going down,' he said. Trump said that immediately Melania Trump recognized the sound as a 'bad noise,' adding that 'it was a rather traumatic experience for her.' 'Melania was very cognizant,' he continued. The President also shared his wife's fear for his safety given the multiple assassination attempts against him. 'The first lady was doing a terrific job. She loves the country. She recognizes it better than any. But she told me numerous times, she said "you are in a dangerous job."' Just an hour earlier, several gunshots rang out as panicked attendees immediately ducked under their tables to protect themselves.  A few journalists stayed seated or knelt, filming the chaos.  Meanwhile, Secret Service agents and security guards started rushing through the dining room, securing the many top-ranking politicians.  Within seconds, Trump, Melania, Vice President JD Vance, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt, quickly took cover under the table on stage before armed guards rushed them out.  Another image showed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Cheryl Hines ducking as they ran to safety In another picture, several Secret Service agents were seen with their guns drawn as they gave people orders Agents then began combing through the hundreds of tables in the banquet hall to secure Cabinet officials.  The Secret Service's Counter Assault Team (CAT) rushed the stage draped in black tactical gear with large rifles drawn. 'It was a gun and some people understood that pretty quickly and other people didn't. I was watching to see what was happening,' the President remarked. 'Melania was cognizant of what happened, and I think she knew.' 'Again the performance of the Secret Service and the police, all of law enforcement were very good. It was very quick. There was not a lot of time to be thinking. It was a matter of seconds before we were out the door and got into an area.' Other video footage showed Vance being franticly helped off stage by Secret Service agents as Trump and Melania ducked for cover.  Clips then showed several agents reach for the President and quickly pull him to safety. An agent is seen drawing his gun and shouting after gunshots were heard at the dinner  Several gunshots rang out as panicked attendees immediately ducked under their tables to protect themselves. A few journalists stayed seated or knelt, filming the chaos While extracting him, the President appeared to slip and crawl for a second as agents help him regain his footing and rush him to a space behind the stage. Melania was also seen crawling on the floor, away from the stage, as agents covered her.   Breaking news... updates to follow.   The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. 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