New Ballistics Evidence Ties Cole Allen’s Shotgun to Secret Service Agent Shooting
CNBC reported Sunday that U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro has confirmed new ballistics evidence directly linking shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen to a Secret Service agent injury. The disclosure fills a gap prosecutors had not previously addressed in public.
Ballistics Evidence Pins Pellet to Allen’s Weapon
Pirro, speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” said a buckshot pellet recovered from a Secret Service agent’s protective vest matched the Mossberg pump-action shotgun Allen allegedly carried. The agent was not injured despite being struck. Pirro was unambiguous in her assessment, telling the program the bullet definitively came from Allen’s weapon.
Allen, 31, of California, already faces federal charges including attempted assassination of President Donald Trump. He also faces a separate charge for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. It was previously unclear whose projectile struck the agent. The new ballistics finding closes that question, though prosecutors have not yet announced additional charges tied to it. Officials have warned further charges remain possible.
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Background on the WHCA Dinner Attack
The shooting took place at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner held at the Washington Hilton. Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and numerous senior administration figures were in attendance that evening. Law enforcement has characterized the incident as the third attempt on Trump’s life since 2024. Allen was taken into custody on the night of the attack and has remained detained since. He waived his right to contest his detention at a hearing last Thursday.
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Allen Removed from Suicide Precautions After Legal Challenge
Separately, Allen’s legal team filed an emergency motion Saturday seeking his removal from suicide precautions at the jail where he is being held. Attorneys argued the conditions amounted to a due process violation. They stated Allen had shown no signs of suicidal intent and that a jail nurse assessed him on May 1 and recommended removing the protocols. The emergency motion was withdrawn Sunday after the jail complied. A hearing scheduled for Monday was subsequently canceled by Allen’s attorneys.
The ballistics confirmation is expected to factor into future pretrial proceedings. Prosecutors retain the option to file a superseding indictment as the investigation continues.
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