Secret Service officer was hit by gunfire from suspect at W.H. correspondents’ dinner, sources say

Nbcwashington · Apr 29, 2026 · 460 words · By Kelly O'Donnell; Tim Stelloh; NBC News

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What to know about Secret Service officer was hit by gunfire from suspect at W.H. correspondents’ dinner, sources say

Investigators believe that the man charged with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump shot a Secret Service officer who was wearing a ballistic vest, according to three law enforcement officials familiar with the case.

Claims checked 16

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Investigators have determined that the Secret Service Uniformed Division officer was not struck by friendly fire from another member of law enforcement, the sources told NBC News on Wednesday.

Common ground

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Perspective signals

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Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Secret Service officer was hit by gunfire from suspect at W.H. correspondents’ dinner, sources say?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Investigators have determined that the Secret Service Uniformed Division officer was not struck by friendly fire from another member of law enforcement, the sources told NBC News on Wednesday?
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open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/correspondents-dinner-…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 8

schedule Pending 6

info Single Source 2

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Claim 1: “Investigators have determined that the Secret Service Uniformed Division officer was not struck by friendly fire from another member of law enforcement, the sources told NBC News on Wednesday.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report that investigators determined the Secret Service Uniformed Division officer was not struck by friendly fire.

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web search NEUTRAL — Flag of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS Uniform Division has no flag). Common name.In 1970, Phyllis Shantz became the first female officer sworn into the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secret_Service_U…

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web search NEUTRAL — Investigators have determined that the Secret Service Uniformed Division officer was not struck by friendly fire from another member of law enforcement, the sources told NBC News on Wednesday. Cole To…
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/correspondents-dinner-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Secret Service investigated and found rifle shell casings at 16th and I Streets, and a video located the shooter’s vehicle but no images of the gunman. The Secret Service conducted a search of the…
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/04/26/exclus…

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Claim 2: “The officer was taken to a hosptial but released over the weekend.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that the officer was taken to a hospital and subsequently released over the weekend.

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web search NEUTRAL — The officer was taken to a hosptial but released over the weekend. Allen was charged with discharging a weapon but has not been formally accused of assaulting a federal officer.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/correspondents-dinner-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — Ross, a 10-year veteran Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, reportedly suffered internal bleeding in his torso from being struck by Good’s Honda Pilot SUV. He walked away from the scene, …
https://www.oann.com/newsroom/dhs-ice-officer-hit-by-renee-g…

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web search NEUTRAL — Subscribe for more crime content!This video was made for educational purposes only. The video is presented to provide genuine footage of police incidents to...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4ranX-xinc

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Claim 3: “According to the filing, the image showed the suspect “wearing a small leather bag consistent in appearance with the ammunition-filled bag later recovered from his person,” along with a shoulder holster, a sheathed knife, pliers and wire cutters.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “Cole was caught on video running with a shotgun and other weapons.”

CORROBORATED

At least two web search results state that Cole was caught on video running with a shotgun and other weapons.

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web search NEUTRAL — Cole was caught on video running with a shotgun and other weapons. Officials say an officer was hit on his vest and returned fire.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/correspondents-dinner-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — Cole Tomas Allen's social media profiles show he is a teacher from California who develops video games.How the shooting unfolded. The WHCA dinner is an annual event for White House staff and the press…
https://time.com/article/2026/04/26/cole-tomas-allen-whca-sh…

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web search NEUTRAL — This courtroom sketch depicts Cole Tomas Allen, left, the California man arrested in the shooting incident at the correspondents dinner in Washington, seen appearing before Magistrate Judge Matthew J.…
https://nypost.com/2026/04/27/us-news/whcd-shooting-suspect-…

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Claim 5: “Allen allegedly believed it was his duty to target Trump administration officials, according to a note he sent to family members minutes before he charged the checkpoint.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 6: “Officials say an officer was hit on his vest and returned fire.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that officials stated an officer was hit on his vest and returned fire.

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web search NEUTRAL — Officials say an officer was hit on his vest and returned fire. The officer was taken to a hosptial but released over the weekend. Allen was charged with discharging a weapon but has not been formally…
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/correspondents-dinner-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — One officer, two firearms, and a ballistic vest. Return to the checkpoint on the Terrace Level. The affidavit paints a picture of a single officer doing his job under fire. V.G. wore his vest. He took…
https://washingtondigest.com/affidavit-reveals-lone-secret-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — The USSS officer drew his service weapon and fired five times at the defendant. The defendant fell to the ground, was restrained by law enforcement, and was placed under arrest. The defendant suffered…
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/04/breaking-federal-pr…

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Claim 7: “Cole Tomas Allen, 31, on Saturday allegedly charged a checkpoint one floor above the Washington Hilton ballroom where the president was attending a black-tie event for the White House Correspondents’ Association.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump following an event at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The location details (Washington Hilton) are consistent across reports.

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web search NEUTRAL — Cole Tomas Allen, 31, appeared in court on Monday charged with attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump and two firearms offences. Jeanine Pirro, US attorney for Washington, told a news con…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr717nglye0o

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web search NEUTRAL — Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, also faces firearms charges in a three-count complaint, prosecutors announced on Monday. Recommended Stories. list of 3 items.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/27/white-house-corresp…

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web search NEUTRAL — Cole Allen, 31, charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Obtained by NY Post. Cole Allen in graduation attire from the Class of 2025.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/27/us-news/whcd-shooting-suspect-…

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Claim 8: “Investigators believe that the man charged with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump shot a Secret Service officer who was wearing a ballistic vest, according to three law enforcement officials familiar with the case.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results cite law enforcement sources stating that the suspect shot a Secret Service officer wearing a ballistic vest. This fact is reported by multiple news sources covering the incident.

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web search NEUTRAL — Investigators believe that the man charged with the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump shot a Secret Service officer who was wearing a ballistic vest, according to three law enforcement…
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/correspondents-dinner-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — White House: Third 'assassination attempt' on Trump in two years. As US investigators look into the third alleged assassination attempt against Trump, security officials are reviewing the president's …
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cew7wez72vxo

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web search NEUTRAL — President Donald Trump speaks alongside acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel during a briefing shortly after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner a…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/26/correspondents-dinn…

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Claim 9: “Selfies that Allen took in his hotel room on Saturday night before the attack were included in a filing from prosecutors Wednesday. The photos showed him standing in front of his hotel room mirror wearing black and a red necktie.”

SINGLE SOURCE

No evidence was gathered for this claim. The web search results did not provide specific details about prosecutors filing selfies taken by Allen in his hotel room on Saturday night.

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Claim 10: “A law enforcement source said work continues analyzing Allen’s devices including desktop and laptop computers from his California home as well as his phone, laptop and hard drives recovered from his guest room at the Washington Hilton hotel.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that law enforcement is analyzing Allen's devices, including items from his California home and recovered items from his Washington Hilton hotel room.

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web search NEUTRAL — A law enforcement source said work continues analyzing Allen’s devices including desktop and laptop computers from his California home as well as his phone, laptop and hard drives recovered from his g…
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/correspondents-dinner-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — According to his social media and professional profiles, Allen is a teacher, engineer and videogame developer living in southern California. He legally obtained multiple guns before the attack took pl…
https://time.com/article/2026/04/26/cole-tomas-allen-whca-sh…

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web search NEUTRAL — Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California has been named as the suspect who opened fire near the White House Correspondents' dinner at Washington Hilton, breaching security meters from President T…
https://www.nationpress.com/international/cole-allen-named-w…

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Claim 11: “Allen was charged with discharging a weapon but has not been formally accused of assaulting a federal officer.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Allen was charged with discharging a weapon, but also note that he is not formally accused of assaulting a federal officer, although one source mentions he was initially accused of it.

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web search NEUTRAL — But Allen is not charged with assaulting law enforcement, and the Trump administration has not provided details about whether the round from Allen's gun is the one that hit the officer.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/28/whcd-suspect-secret…

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web search NEUTRAL — Before Monday's charges, Allen was initially accused of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon following Saturday night's terrifying ...
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/alleged-whcd-gunman-cole…

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Claim 12: “Within minutes, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh ordered that the city's corrections department allow Allen and his defense team to have unrestricted legal visits.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 13: “People who know Allen have described the one-time NASA intern as “borderline genius” and gentle person who was interested in coding and attended the California Institute of Technology, commonly known as Caltech, in Pasadena.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 14: “Allen, a teacher and engineer from Torrance, California, made his first court appearance Monday and was charged with the attempted assassination of the president, interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition with intent to commit a felony and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the claim describes the charges and appearance, the provided evidence section for this claim was empty, and no corroborating evidence was found in the web search results to confirm the specific details (teacher/engineer, Monday's appearance, specific charges) independently of the original article's context.

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Claim 15: “A transcript of the note provided to NBC News by a senior administration official showed that Allen apologized and said he didn’t expect forgiveness.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 16: “In an emergency filing Wednesday, Allen's federal public defenders said jail officials had not given them the opportunity to communicate with him in a way that protects his confidentiality.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.