Agents stand guard after a shooting took place at the White House Correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC on April 25, 2026. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)
By Samuel Short May 1, 2026 at 7:54am
More information is coming out after Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner in Washington, D.C. that marked the third assassination attempt against President Donald Trump.
Shots rang out when the suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen stormed past the security checkpoint as the room was told to get down and Trump was quickly evacuated along with First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
We now have the footage of the moments right before Allen acted, showing a K9 unit was suspicious of him, but the handler pulled the dog back. Allen flew past agents only seconds later.
A K9 appeared to be suspicious of White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect Cole Allen but was pulled away just seconds before Allen charged through security.
The dog was seen following Allen through a doorway but was pulled back by its handler.
Immediately after the… pic.twitter.com/fI8DeNRl7r
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 1, 2026
Allen can be seen walking through a doorway before reaching the checkpoint. The K9 followed immediately with the officer standing in the hallway.
The dog knew something was not right about him.
The officer stood and looked at Allen but decided to walk away.
It’s only two seconds later that the suspect, gun in hand, takes off running by other security members when they quickly draw their weapons and follow.
In a close up, you can see the K9 officer saying something to Cole.
Why was this K-9 cop talking to Cole Allen and why didn’t he send the dog as soon as he ran through the checkpoint?
That dog would’ve been on him like flies on a big pile of 💩. pic.twitter.com/83WqjCvzsH
— Jason Jones (@jonesville) May 1, 2026
This would be a massive failure under any circumstances but think about the context.
This is the third known attempt on Trump’s life.
There were several errors made in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024 leading up to gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks shooting the president, nearly hitting his head.
Fox News confirmed Crooks, astoundingly, was able to fly a drone over the Butler rally grounds.
Judicial Watch reported April 17 that Crooks was heard making “hateful comments” about the president before the event.
In February, ABC News reported a second assassin, Ryan Wesley Routh was sentenced to life in prison after he attempted to assassinate Trump in September 2024 at his golf course in Palm Beach, Florida.
This level of incompetence simply won’t do.
It’s unacceptable for any president, but it’s an offense warranting termination and an investigation for every officer involved Saturday.
We need to stop arguing about the politics and accept reality: the president’s life is constantly in danger and the left won’t stop. He needs double if not triple the security of every other official and former president.
Cole should not have even made it in the building or within a block of the Hilton Hotel that night.
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Sam Short is an Assistant Professor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London. The views expressed in his articles are his own and do not reflect the views or opinions of Motlow State Community College.
