The Secret Service officer who took a round to his bulletproof vest as a gunman rushed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night is “in great shape,” President Donald Trump said. However, taking a bullet in body armor is not without consequences.
People who have experienced it say it can be like being hit by a heavyweight prize fighter.
“One officer was shot but saved by the fact that he was wearing obviously a very good bulletproof vest,” Trump said in a press conference on Saturday night, noting the officer was being treated at a local hospital.
“He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job. I just spoke to the officer, and he’s doing great. He’s in great shape. He is in very high spirits.”
The officer has since been released from the hospital, according to NBC.
Authorities rushed the president, the first lady, and senior administration officials out of the venue after the suspected gunman, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, allegedly stormed a security checkpoint with two firearms and multiple knives, according to numerous news reports.
Allen reportedly had a shotgun and a handgun on him.
Yet many questions remain as to what exactly happened in what appeared to be a shootout at the security checkpoint of the event.
Witnesses reported multiple gun shots, but it is unclear if they all came from the suspect or from Secret Service agents who are seen aiming their weapons in a security camera video that was first released by the president on Truth Social.
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The suspect experienced no gunshot wounds, according to news coverage, and was seen detained and shirtless face down on the hotel lobby’s floor in a photo also released by the president.
It also has not been revealed what kind of round the secret service officer took in the chest.
What is clear is that the Secret Service agent felt the unavoidable consequences of a firearm’s impact.
According to Premiere Body Armor’s prediction of what its customers can expect:
Does it hurt getting shot with body armor? Yes, it absolutely can. While a bulletproof vest prevents a round from penetrating your body, it does not cancel out the energy behind the bullet. Many describe the sensation as similar to being hit by a sledgehammer or receiving a hard punch to the chest. In short, does getting shot with a bulletproof vest hurt? Absolutely, but it’s far better than the alternative.
The amount of pain you experience depends on several factors: the caliber and speed of the bullet, the type of vest you’re wearing, whether trauma pads are used, and exactly where the shot impacts. A direct hit to the sternum, for example, will feel very different than a glancing shot to the side. Even when the armor performs perfectly, bruises, soreness, or other injuries are common.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has said “preliminary” findings suggest the suspected gunman was targeting members of the Trump administration.
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While a motive has yet to be reported, the BBC looked into Allen’s online presence
The outlet found:
Los Angeles County’s voter registration records appear to show he had registered no party preference. According to a Federal Election Commission record, seen by BBC Verify, in October 2024 Allen donated $25 (£18.5) to the fundraising platform ActBlue with the money earmarked for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
Allen describes himself as a mechanical engineer, game developer and teacher on LinkedIn. According to his profile, he studied mechanical engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) – a highly competitive university – where he took part in its Christian fellowship.
Blanche told news outlets Allen had bought the two firearms “in the last couple of years” and said there was “not any indication yet” he was known to local authorities.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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