On Sunday's CNN news program "State of the Union," U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, with host Jake Tapper. In the course of the interview, Jeanine Pirro was able to confirm that the shot recovered from a Secret Service agent's protective vest during an exchange of fire with alleged would-be presidential assassin Cole Allen did, in fact, come from the shotgun Allen had used in the attempt.
.@USAttyPirro on Cole 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. This was a premeditated, violent act, calculated to take… pic.twitter.com/bCp3kiXAvD
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 3, 2026
The X post reads:
.@USAttyPirro on Cole 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. This was a premeditated, violent act, calculated to take down the president, and anyone who was in the line of fire."
U.S. Attorney Pirro said:
Pirro: Well, we have been able to determine which gun it was. First of all, there is video of the defendant shooting at the Secret Service agent. There is also the agent who will tell you himself that he was shot and then he returned the fire. But more importantly, Jake, is that fact that we can now establish a pellet from a buckshot that came from the defendant's Mossberg pump-action shotgun was intertwined with the fiber of the vest of the Secret Service officer.
Tapper: So it's definitively his bullet.
Pirro: It is definitely 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. This was a premeditated, violent act calculated to take down the president and anyone who was in the line of fire. And you and I were both in that combat zone, and we know what it was like. It was a very dangerous situation. And, but for law enforcement and their quick reaction, this thing could have been much worse.
The evidence continues to pile up, it seems.
Read More: New: Report on WHCD Shooting Suspect Stumbles Upon the Most Troubling Aspect of Them All
The Mossberg shotgun in question - the specific one found in Cole Allen's possession is reportedly from the company's lower-priced "Maverick" line - would have been a frightfully effective weapon, had Allen been able to get through that perimeter and into the White House Correspondent's Dinner proper. While both Jake Tapper and Jeanine Pirro incorrectly characterize the projectile recovered as a "bullet," it is not. A shotgun buckshot load consists not of a conical bullet but several simple round lead pellets; while we don't know what loads the recovered shotgun had in it, the standard 12-gauge load is 00, round lead pellets of about .32 caliber, nine to a standard load. Each shot sends nine .32 caliber lead balls downrange, although at the short ranges in the venue, the pellets would have still been tightly grouped.
This wasn't a random choice on the part of Cole Allen. He gave some thought to his choice of primary weapon.
Stay tuned.
Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.
Help us fight back against the Democrats and Soros-backed DAs that refuse to enforce our laws to hold criminals accountable. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member