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Gaming, Rants, Hitler Comparisons: What Trump Event Shooter Posted Online
A suspect in the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner shooting is identified, with authorities noting online posts that included anti-Trump rhetoric and Hitler comparisons. The timeline traces earlier social media activity, the assault itself, and subsequent official remarks and ongoing investigations.
Why It Matters
The timeline illustrates how online statements and online communities intersect with a real-world security incident involving the sitting president, and how investigators pursue leads across platforms years of online activity.
Timeline
7 Events
April 28, 2026: Ongoing investigation and sequence of events being established
April 28, 2026
Investigators are continuing to piece together the precise sequence of events from the evening of the attack, with ballistics analysis and other details still pending; questions remain about the total number of shots and whether any bullet hit a vest.
April 27, 2026: Additional charges expected
April 27, 2026
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro stated that additional charges are expected, according to CNN.
April 27, 2026: Investigations into connections to left-wing groups
April 27, 2026
US Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen's connections to left-wing groups are under investigation.
April 25, 2026: Ballistics analysis underway
April 25, 2026
Investigators stated that ballistics analysis was underway to determine how many shots were fired and whether any bullet struck a Secret Service vest.
April 25, 2026: Shooting at WHCA Dinner; suspect identified
April 25, 2026
At the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, was identified by multiple media outlets as the suspect in custody after the Saturday shooting attended by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
2024: Posts referencing Trump via Hitler comparisons and election nullification
2024
Two years after 2022, Allen repeatedly reposted content comparing Trump to Hitler and shared a post calling for nullifying the 2020 election results that year.
2022: Posts about video games on X and YouTube
2022
In 2022, Allen posted mostly about video games on X and urged followers to check out his YouTube channel, which featured Nintendo Super Smash Bros. content before it was taken down.