US adds officer-assault charge against suspect in Trump assassination attempt

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday added a charge of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon to the case against the man accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton last month.

The new charge, which formally accuses the suspect, Cole Allen, of firing at a U.S. Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint, is part of a new four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Washington. The other three counts are charges Allen previously faced including attempted assassination, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and illegal transportation of a firearm and ammunition across state lines.

Prosecutors allege that Allen, 31, of California, was armed with a shotgun and a pistol when he sprinted past security in an attempt to assassinate Trump and other U.S. officials on April 25.

(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward, Editing by Franklin Paul and David Gregorio)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 3:30 PM.