Video Suggests Would-Be Trump Killer May Not Have Fired Bullet That Hit Agent

At present there is no credible indication Allen did not act alone; he remains the only person arrested in connection with the alleged assassination attempt on Trump.

30 Apr 2026, 05:38 · NDTV

New Delhi:

Cole Tomas Allen - the 31-year-old man charged with trying to assassinate US President Donald Trump - may not have fired the bullet that struck a Secret Service officer's protective vest.

Citing fresh prosecution details, The New York Times said video evidence suggests the bullet that hitt the agent may not have been fired by Allen. It, however, stopped short of confirming a second shooter at the Washington hotel hosting the gala dinner.

Allen had a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives when he sprinted past a security cordon that included Secret Service agents and ran at the stage on which President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance were seated.

He fired shots as he did so. Secret Service agents - elite federal law enforcement authorities - responded by trying to chase him down. Allen evaded initial attempts to capture him and a brief exchange of fire took place, during which one agent was hit in the chest. The Secret Service's communications chief, Anthony Guglielmi, confirmed this to British broadcaster BBC.

The Times said Allen had fired a shotgun at a stairwell leading down to the now-empty ballroom where the White House Correspondents' Association dinner had been held. The court was told a Secret Service officer "heard the gunshot" and responded by firing his weapon five times. Allen was not hit, the court was told.

He did, however, suffer a "minor injury to his knee" as he was restrained and arrested.

RECAP | Shots, Secret Service Chase, Chaos: Timeline Of Trump Event Shooting

The officer who fired his gun was the same one whose protective vest was hit by a bullet.

At present, there is no credible indication that Allen did not act alone. He remains the only person arrested in connection with the alleged assassination attempt on Trump. If convicted he faces a life sentence.

Prosecutors, however, have urged the court to view the incident as a "planned attack of unfathomable malice that risked the lives of hundreds of people" and an act of political violence.

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