A Los Angeles-area man has been arrested following a shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday at the Washington Hilton hotel.
- Suspect: Cole Tomas Allen, approximately 31, of Torrance, California.
- Incident: Suspect opened fire with a shotgun at a Secret Service agent outside the event ballroom.
- Background: Allen is a Caltech graduate working as a teacher and independent game developer.
Suspect Identified as California Resident
Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, a resident of Torrance, California. Social media and professional profiles indicate Allen is a part-time teacher and independent game developer.
According to a LinkedIn profile, Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University at Dominguez Hills in 2025. Caltech confirmed that an individual by that name graduated in 2017.
Allen’s professional history includes work as a mechanical engineer for IJK Controls in South Pasadena and a role as a Caltech teaching assistant. He was also named “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024 by the Torrance office of C2 Education.
Details of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting
The U.S. Secret Service stated that Allen was armed with a shotgun and was taken into custody after opening fire at a Secret Service agent. The incident occurred outside the ballroom where President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and several cabinet secretaries were gathered.
The chief of the District of Columbia police department said investigators believe the suspect was a guest at the Washington Hilton, though a specific motive has not yet been determined.
President Trump told reporters he believed he was the target of the attack. He described Allen as a “sick guy” and claimed the suspect wrote a manifesto containing anti-Christian sentiment. Trump further alleged that Allen’s family had previously expressed concerns about him to law enforcement officials.
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