(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The man who allegedly attacked the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday apparently wasn’t on the FBI’s radar—at least not until the last minute.
Citing sources in the FBI, Journalist Ken Klippenstein reported Sunday that the suspect, Cole Allen, was never flagged by the bureau’s domestic counterterrorism apparatus.
“The 31-year-old alleged gunman who attempted to penetrate the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday was, by all appearances, a normal guy — until he wasn’t,” Klippenstein said.
However, police were contacted about Allen roughly two hours before the attack. Allen’s brother contacted police in New London, Connecticut, after receiving his “manifesto.”
To figure out why Cole Allen did what he did, I obtained a copy of his resume and talked to his former friends. The portrait that emerges is unlike what the White House is saying:https://t.co/UisQVHYnKh
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) April 26, 2026
The New London Police Department said in a statement it was contacted at 10:49 p.m., about two hours after the shooting, by an individual who wanted to share information related to it. The police department said it then immediately notified federal law enforcement.
By then, it was apparently too late.
The shooting at the security barricades happened minutes after the event got underway.
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening. Hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.
“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.
After an initial attempt to resume the event, it was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.
Trump was unusually conciliatory after what he saw as a third attempt on his life in less than two years. He suggested that his personal politics had made him a repeated target, but he also called for unity and bipartisan healing in an increasingly violent world.
“It’s always shocking when something like this happens. Happened to me, a little bit. And that never changes,” Trump told reporters in a hastily organized news conference at the White House late Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
