Federal Court: September 2027 Trial Date Set for White House Dinner Shooter

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., set a trial date of September 7, 2027, for Cole Tomas Allen, the Torrance resident charged with attacking President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. The proceedings are expected to last three to four weeks.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden moved the start date from the May 2027 timeline recommended by prosecutors. The change followed a request from one of Allen's attorneys for additional preparation time. Jury selection will begin on the first day of the trial.

Allen faces an attempted assassination charge, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. He is also charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two additional firearms counts. Authorities said the attack occurred on April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton hotel.

Prosecutors allege Allen entered the event armed with guns and knives. He fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer who attempted to stop him. The officer was struck once in a bullet-resistant vest and fired five shots, missing the defendant. Allen was injured during the incident but did not suffer gunshot wounds.

The attack ended the annual dinner early. President Trump returned to speak at a rescheduled event three months later. In writings sent to relatives before the incident, Allen referred to himself as a Friendly Federal Assassin and criticized administration policies.