Who is Cole Tomas Allen? All About the Suspect Accused of Opening Fire Near White House Correspondents’ Dinner

President Donald Trump and other government officials had a narrow escape on April 25 when gunshots were fired near the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel in the capital.

Authorities apprehended the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, before he could rush past security and reach the main venue. Allen has been taken into custody while law enforcement agencies investigate the shooting. Meanwhile, more details about the suspect have come out.

Allen is a 31-year-old man from Torrance, California, who allegedly sent a manifesto to his family members just minutes before the shooting. In the message, he denounced the Trump administration’s policies and hinted that he would take violent action against government officials.

Interestingly, he specifically wrote that he would not harm FBI director Kash Patel. “Administration officials (not including [FBI Director Kash] Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” Allen reportedly wrote, adding, “I am no longer willing to permit a p—-----, r—--, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”

Allen’s arrest has shocked those who knew him, as he has no criminal history and appears to be an intelligent individual. He is a mechanical engineer who graduated from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in 2017.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he earned a master’s degree in computer science from California State University in 2025. Allen also takes a keen interest in video games and worked as an independent game developer. In 2018, he launched his own game, named Bohrdom.

In addition to earning degrees, Allen also served as a tutor at C2 Education. The firm awarded him the Teacher of the Month award in December 2024. One of Allen’s professors from California State University, Bin Tang, expressed shock over his actions.

Tang said in a statement to The Associated Press, “He was a very good student indeed, always sitting in the first row of my class, paying attention, and frequently emailing me with coursework questions. Soft-spoken, very polite, a good fellow. I am very shocked to see the news.”

Max Harris, a high school senior in Torrance who was tutored by Allen, echoed similar sentiments. “He seemed like a completely average guy. Like, I never would have expected anything like this from a guy like him,” Harris said in an interview with The New York Times.

According to investigators, Allen reached the capital after taking a train from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then from Chicago to Washington, D.C. He checked into the Washington Hilton a day or two before the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

During the event, he attempted to storm a security checkpoint at the hotel. He fired several shots before being tackled by Secret Service agents. One of the security officials was shot during the incident, but fortunately survived due to his bulletproof vest.

Authorities found Allen in possession of a 12-gauge shotgun, a semiautomatic pistol, and multiple knives. He is now facing charges of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.