Jeanine Pirro says Cole Allen will face additional charges as he invokes right to remain silent
🚨 JEANINE PIRRO GOES HARD:
— Pat Evans (@PatPatEvans) April 27, 2026
“Make no mistake: this was an attempted assassination of the President of the United States. The defendant made his intent crystal clear. This is something we cannot tolerate.”
More charges coming! NO MERCY! pic.twitter.com/Vol7b1DdV3
WASHINGTON, DC: US Attorney for Washington, DC, Jeanine Pirro announced that the gunman who abruptly opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) on Saturday, April 25, will be facing additional charges.
The announcement came as the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, invoked his constitutional right to remain silent, possibly to avoid self-incrimination.
Jeanine Pirro says it's clear Cole Tomas Allen intended to harm POTUS
After the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, appeared for his initial hearing at the federal court on Monday, April 27, top officials of the Department of Justice held a press conference announcing that the gunman will face additional charges.
Pirro, during the press briefing, announced the additional charges, stating, “There will be additional charges as this investigation continues to unfold.”
Earlier, Allen was slapped with three charges, including attempting to assassinate the president.
“But make no mistake, this was an attempted assassination of the president of the United States, with the defendant making clear what his intent was, and that intent was to bring down as many of the high-ranking Cabinet officials as he could,” Pirro said.
Cole Tomas Allen started preparing soon after Trump confirmed WHCD attendance
After his arrest following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Cole Tomas Allen invoked his right to remain silent, as revealed in the court documents.
While the prosecutor plans to slap additional charges against him, the criminal complaint charges Allen with attempted assassination of the president, transportation of a firearm with the intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
An affidavit from an FBI agent shows a timeline ahead of the alleged crime, revealing that the suspect had started preparing for the shooting soon after Trump announced that he would attend the annual dinner.
The filing revealed that Allen booked a three-night stay at the Washington Hilton on April 6 and departed for the venue on April 21. He travelled from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, DC, by train.
The reservation at the Washington Hilton, where the annual dinner takes place, was made for April 24, 25, and 26.
White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting
Nearly 30 minutes after the president and first lady Melania Trump entered the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton, a gunman opened fire near the event’s main security screening area, prompting the evacuation of key officials and others.
The horrifying incident occurred around 8.30 pm on Saturday. The gunman, later identified as Allen, exchanged fire with security personnel as he “ran through the magnetometer, holding a long gun.” One Secret Service agent was shot in the chest during the incident.
Earlier, it was speculated that the bullet that struck the officer was fired by the attacker, but later, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that it wasn't clear, as “there were five shots that law enforcement fired.”
