The Independent reported a Sept. 7, 2027, jury-selection date for Cole Tomas Allen’s Washington trial over an alleged correspondents’ dinner attack, which is expected to last three to four weeks.
Judge Trevor McFadden set the later timetable after Allen’s lawyer requested additional preparation time, The Independent reported. Prosecutors had sought a May 2027 start. The case stems from an armed incident at the Washington Hilton on April 25, 2026, during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Video showed Allen allegedly approaching the event carrying guns and knives before firing a shotgun toward a Secret Service officer trying to stop him, The Independent reported. Authorities said one shot struck the officer’s bullet-resistant vest, after which the officer fired five rounds without hitting anyone. Allen was injured, but authorities said gunfire did not cause his injuries.
Allen faces an attempted-assassination charge, an assault charge and two firearms counts, The Independent reported. The attempted-assassination count carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. The outlet also pointed to a 2024 Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania: Donald Trump’s ear was grazed by a bullet, and security personnel killed the gunman.
