Cole Tomas Allen is expected to be charged in federal court after allegedly opening fire outside the White House Correspondents' Association dinner; officials say he traveled by train to Washington and is not cooperating. King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived to take part in U.S. 250th birthday events and to repair ties with the United States. Jury selection begins in California in the Elon Musk–Sam Altman civil trial over OpenAI’s shift from nonprofit to for‑profit. Other items include rising diesel costs hurting shrimpers, stalled U.S.‑Iran diplomacy, and reports of costly immigration scams.
Correspondents' Dinner Shooting Suspect Expected in Federal Court; Musk–Altman Trial Begins — Morning Rundown
Gabriel V. Cárdenas for NBC News(Gabriel V. Cárdenas for NBC News)
The man accused of opening fire outside the White House Correspondents' Association dinner is expected to face federal charges today, officials said, after the weekend shooting that rattled attendees at the annual black‑tie event — the first such dinner President Donald Trump has attended while in office.
Federal authorities identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California. The U.S. attorney's office in Washington, D.C., said prosecutors plan to charge Allen with multiple counts, including using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, and that additional charges are expected.
Investigators said Allen wrote to family members roughly 10 minutes before the attack saying he believed it was his duty to target members of the Trump administration. The note included apologies to parents, colleagues, students and bystanders and criticized the administration without naming the president. A senior administration official said Allen’s brother alerted law enforcement after receiving the message, and Allen’s sister told the Secret Service her brother often made extreme statements.
Authorities say Allen rushed a security checkpoint armed with a shotgun, a handgun and several knives, approached the ballroom where the dinner was underway, exchanged gunfire with law enforcement and was tackled and detained. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Meet the Press that officials believe Allen traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, D.C., and that he is not cooperating with investigators.
King Charles reacts as he greets Donald Trump at Windsor Castle on September 17, 2025, for the start of the U.S. president's second state visit to the U.K. (Ian Vogler / AFP via Getty Images)(Ian Vogler)
Background on the Suspect
Public records show Allen trained as an engineer and graduated from the California Institute of Technology. Former teammates and professors described him as soft‑spoken, polite and academically gifted.
President Trump has highlighted the shooting as he promotes a proposed $400 million White House ballroom — a project facing legal challenges and uncertain as a future venue for the correspondents’ dinner.
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Today’s Morning Rundown was curated by Kayla Hayempour.
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