Gunman confirmed as source of shot that hit Secret Service agent

US authorities say they have established that the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump was also responsible for shooting a Secret Service agent during last month’s incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Early accounts had left open how the agent — protected by a bulletproof vest — was injured. On Sunday, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro said investigators have now confirmed that the shot came from the suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen.

“It is definitively his bullet. He hit at that Secret Service agent. He had every intention to kill him and anyone who got in his way, on his way to killing the president of the United States,” Pirro said.

“This was a premeditated, violent act, calculated to take down the president, and anyone who was in the line of fire.”

The clarification narrows the sequence of events and removes earlier speculation that the agent might have been struck by “friendly fire” during the confrontation. Pirro added that forensic analysis found a pellet from the suspect’s shotgun embedded in the fibers of the agent’s vest, reinforcing that conclusion.

The finding could shape the legal case against Allen, who already faces three federal charges announced last week: attempting to assassinate Trump, transporting a firearm across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. A conviction on the most serious charge carries the possibility of life imprisonment.

Officials have also outlined a timeline that suggests planning rather than spontaneity. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen travelled by train from near Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, DC, arriving on April 24, one day before the event. He checked into the Washington Hilton hotel, where the dinner was being held.

According to Blanche, the situation escalated quickly once Allen approached a security checkpoint above the ballroom where Trump was present.

“He ran through the magnetometer holding a long gun. As he did so, US Secret Service personnel assigned to the checkpoint heard a loud gunshot,” Blanche said.

“One Secret Service officer was shot in the chest, but was wearing a ballistic vest that worked. This heroic officer, who was hit, fired five times at Allen, who was not shot, but fell to the ground and was promptly arrested.”

Authorities say Allen was carrying a shotgun, a semiautomatic pistol and three knives at the time.