The suspect in Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been identified by a law enforcement official as Cole Tomas Allen, about 31, of Torrance, California.
A LinkedIn profile matching his name describes Allen as an “independent game developer” and part-time teacher for C2 Education, a national tutoring firm, where he was named “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024, according to a report by CNN.
According to his profile, he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from California Institute of Technology in 2017 and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2025.
Federal Election Commission records show Allen donated $25 to Kamala Harris‘ presidential campaign in October 2024.
Suspect Fired On Secret Service Agent
The Secret Service said Allen was armed with a shotgun and opened fire on an agent inside the Washington Hilton Hotel, the venue for the dinner attended by President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and several Cabinet secretaries.
One Secret Service officer was shot and wounded, but his bulletproof vest prevented a fatal injury.
D.C. police said Allen was believed to be a hotel guest, and no motive has been identified.
On social media, several leaders praised law enforcement’s prompt response.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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