In the most comprehensive look yet at the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting, the Department of Justice has just released high-quality security camera footage from the scene.
The footage shows the shooter, Cole Allen, rushing past security with his gun.
It also shows a Secret Service agent firing off shots at Allen before he was tackled to the ground.
In addition, the footage also includes video of Cole Allen staking out the area prior to the shooting.
Watch here:
Today, we are releasing video already provided to U.S. District Court showing Cole Allen shoot a U.S. Secret Service officer during his attempt to assassinate the President at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
There is no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly… pic.twitter.com/a8gRXkW6BH
— US Attorney Pirro (@USAttyPirro) April 30, 2026
Today, we are releasing video already provided to U.S. District Court showing Cole Allen shoot a U.S. Secret Service officer during his attempt to assassinate the President at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
There is no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly fire.
The video also shows Allen casing the area in the Hilton Hotel the day before the attack.
My office along with the @FBI
will continue this extensive investigation to bring Cole Allen to justice.
Fox News shared a closer look at the agent firing off several shots at Allen:
NEW PHOTOS: Higher-quality surveillance footage obtained by The Washington Post shows Cole Allen appearing to hold a gun as he sprints through a security checkpoint at the WHCA Dinner.
An agent is seen firing as Allen attempts to gain access to the ballroom where President… pic.twitter.com/CJp7L6UzLE
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 30, 2026
NEW PHOTOS: Higher-quality surveillance footage obtained by The Washington Post shows Cole Allen appearing to hold a gun as he sprints through a security checkpoint at the WHCA Dinner.
An agent is seen firing as Allen attempts to gain access to the ballroom where President Trump, VP JD Vance, and high-profile Cabinet members were seated.
ADVERTISEMENTAgents can be seen breaking down one of two magnetometers as the suspect bolts toward them. One agent draws his weapon and fires at the suspect. The photos show four muzzle flashes from those shots.
It’s the clearest look yet at how quickly the situation unfolded, as Allen is set to appear in federal court Thursday for a detention hearing.
The Secret Service has confirmed that the agent who was hit in the chest during the shooting was not struck by friendly fire, but rather Cole Allen’s shotgun.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran provided new details on the shooting during a Fox News appearance today.
Here’s a summary of Curran’s update:
- U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran pushed back on reports that the Secret Service agent wounded during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner shooting was hit by “friendly fire.”
- Curran said the agent was actually shot at point-blank range by suspect Cole Tomas Allen after Allen breached a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton.
- According to Curran, the agent returned fire but did not strike Allen. Instead, Allen was ultimately subdued after suffering a knee injury during the confrontation.
- He strongly defended the Secret Service response, saying, “My agents did a great job,” and insisted there was no security failure in how the event was protected.
- Curran also said there was a specific classified reason the security perimeter was set where it was, explaining why the suspect encountered security inside the hotel rather than farther from the ballroom. He declined to provide details publicly.
- He emphasized that the agency would not be changing its security setup for similar events, maintaining that the existing protection plan was adequate despite the attack.
- The incident renewed scrutiny over presidential security because President Donald Trump, the First Lady, Cabinet officials, and hundreds of guests were inside the ballroom during the attempted attack.
Watch what Curran had to say for yourself here:
🚨 JUST IN: Secret Service Director Curran CONFIRMS the agent who was shot by Cole Allen RETURNED FIRE as he was falling, explaining why all five shots missed
Allen then tripped and was dogpiled by agents.
The shooter's tactical vest was taken off to ensure he had no other… pic.twitter.com/Om7kNYHsN3
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) April 30, 2026
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