Suspect in White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Identified

The man suspected of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California.

Public records indicate he worked as a teacher and video game developer.

Incident Details

Allen was subdued near the dinner venue where President Trump and other officials were present, according to law enforcement sources cited by CNN.

Professional Background

A LinkedIn profile matching Allen's name and photo describes him as a part-time teacher at C2 Education, a test prep and tutoring company. C2 named Allen “teacher of the month” in December 2024, per the company's social media posts.

Allen graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He received a master’s degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills in 2024.

He was featured in a 2017 local news report for developing a prototype emergency brake for wheelchairs.

Political Activity

Federal Election Commission records show Allen donated $25 to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in October 2024.

Game Development

On LinkedIn, Allen described himself as a video game developer. He published an indie game called Bohrdom on Steam for $1.99 and registered a trademark for the game's name in 2018.

He wrote that he was “currently developing a second game, working name ‘First Law.’”