Prosecutors have released new footage showing Cole Allen, the suspected shooter at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, moving around the Washington Hilton hotel before rushing past security in an apparent attempt to storm the ballroom where President Donald Trump was seated.
On Thursday, Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, released a five-minute video on X that contained surveillance footage from the hotel, where dozens of political and media figures had gathered for the annual event.
The footage has emerged as the Secret Service faces renewed scrutiny over its ability to protect the president and his entourage—following the third attempt on Trump’s life in two years. While the agency’s response ultimately proved effective, drawing praise from the administration, the incident has raised questions about staffing and training during a year packed with public appearances for Trump and his Cabinet.
The video shows Allen, 31, “casing the area in the Hilton” the day before the incident, Pirro wrote, and speaking with staff at the hotel. The footage then cuts to the following night and shows Allen running through a security checkpoint a floor above the main ballroom. According to Pirro, the video shows the moment Allen shot a Secret Service agent, disproving claims that the agent—who was wearing a ballistic vest—was injured from “friendly fire.” However, for some, the footage has increased doubts over who shot the agent.
Newsweek has contacted Pirro’s office for comment by email outside regular working hours.
What Is in the New Video?
The surveillance footage, which includes no audio, shows Allen walking down a hallway in the Washington Hilton on Friday evening, entering a gym area in the hotel and speaking with a receptionist before walking back down the same hallway a few minutes later.
The footage then fast-forwards to the next evening, showing the suspect down the same hallway wearing a long black coat.
The video cuts again to show the security checkpoint where officers and magnetometers were located, through which Allen sprints while holding a shotgun moments after entering a room at the top of the screen. It is unclear when in the video Allen shot the weapon at the officer, as Pirro’s post alleged.
Why the Video Is Raising Questions?
Aspects of the footage Pirro posted have raised questions regarding Allen’s movements before storming the security checkpoint, as well as the security personnel’s response and the origin of the gunshot that injured one agent.
Individual in the Room With Allen
Allen can be seen entering a room near the security checkpoint moments before running out and through the magnetometers. Once agents and officers respond, an unidentified individual pokes their head out of the room in which Allen discarded the long black trench coat that prosecutors say had concealed his shotgun.
“There was someone in the room that he went into. They need to be found,” one user wrote on X, adding, “They were in the room he retrieved the gun from.”
Sniffer Dog Takes Notice of Allen
When Allen entered the room, a security officer accompanied by a K-9 began following him inside, appearing to observe his actions. Moments after the officer and dog turned away, Allen suddenly charged toward the checkpoint.
“Judge, what is the deal with the K-9 and that whole situation before he ran out?” a user commented on Pirro’s post.
Three Officials Fail To Respond
As two police officers dismantle a magnetometer in the video, three security checkpoint staff can be seen leaning against a nearby wall before running from the incident as agents and police officers either drew their weapons or pursued Allen.
The three individuals appear to be screeners rather than law enforcement, but they have been criticized for not assisting in Allen’s capture.
“Please only have competent guards and secret service employees at ALL places POTUS goes,” an X user wrote.
Friendly Fire and the Muzzle Flash
Pirro said the video proved “there is no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly fire.” Earlier on Thursday, Trump said the agent’s injury was not caused by friendly fire, telling one reporter, “It wasn’t us.”
However, doubt remains over whether the video confirms this official narrative or shows that the injury was caused by a fellow agent. As Allen runs through the magnetometer, an agent reels over, while four muzzle flashes from another agent’s gun can be seen as they fire at the moving suspect.
“He just saw the guy coming, ducked, and tried to get his gun out of his holster,” one social-media user wrote in response to several posts that considered this evidence of friendly fire.
U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran told Fox News that one agent was hit at “point-blank range” by Allen as he ran through the magnetometer, before he “heroically returned fire.” However, while several flashes from one officer’s gun are visible, the video is not high-definition enough to clearly show the moment Allen’s gun was allegedly discharged.
“I own a shotgun, those muzzle flashes are insane, with a notable smoke plume,” one Reddit user wrote. “I didn’t see a single frame where that shotgun discharged a round.”
Allen’s attorneys have argued that available surveillance and cellphone video does not clearly show him firing a weapon, The Washington Post report. In court filings cited by the paper, the defense said footage from the scene appears to show no visible muzzle flash from a shotgun and questioned whether ballistics evidence supports the claim that Allen discharged the gun. They have asked the Justice Department to turn over video, witness statements and forensic analysis, arguing that the material could undermine the charge that he fired a weapon during the incident.
What Happens Next
Allen has been charged with attempted assassination of the president as well as a number of firearms counts, including “discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence,” the Department of Justice announced. Allen remains detained as he awaits trial, and his attorneys told a federal judge on Thursday they would no longer dispute his pretrial detention.
Meanwhile, the Secret Service has been conducting a review of its protocols in light of the incident, amid scrutiny over how an armed individual was able to breach the first perimeter and come close to entering the ballroom where Trump, members of his Cabinet, other high-ranking officials and members of the media were located.
“While the protective model for White House Correspondents’ Dinner event proved effective, the key takeaway for future events is that enhancements should be expected at every level, as that is how the model is designed to function,” Anthony Guglielmi, the chief of communications for the Secret Service, told Newsweek.
He added, “We are actively focused on identifying the trigger for this incident and fully understanding the factors that led to it.”
Update, 05/01/2026, 11:26 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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