A photo circulated online shows the shotgun that authorities say Cole Tomas Allen allegedly brandished during an assassination attempt at the Washington Hilton. Media reports identified the weapon as a Mossberg Maverick 12‑gauge pump shotgun and say Allen bought it from Turner’s Outdoorsman in Torrance, California, in August 2025, according to sources quoted by the New York Post.
Why that model? Reports suggest several practical reasons: the Maverick can be fitted with a folding stock, making it easier to conceal; Allen’s shotgun was also reportedly equipped with a pistol grip and an extended magazine tube, features that affect handling and ammunition capacity.
Investigators say Allen also purchased an Armscor semi‑automatic pistol from CAP Tactical Firearms in Lawndale, California, in October 2023. Those weapons were reportedly stored at his parents’ home in Torrance, and Allen is said to have trained with them regularly at a shooting range.
Allen faces federal charges that include using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.
According to authorities, Allen attempted to breach the security perimeter inside the Washington Hilton as then‑President Donald Trump was about to address the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Armed with multiple weapons, including knives, he fired shots outside the ballroom. Secret Service and other security personnel immediately covered and evacuated the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Second Lady Usha Vance from the head table and escorted them out of the ballroom.
This incident follows two earlier reported attempts on Trump’s life over the past two years: at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and in Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024.