Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher and video game developer from Southern California, has been identified as the suspect behind the shooting incident near the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., according to reports by CNN.
Allen, a resident of Torrance in Los Angeles, was apprehended by security operatives close to the Washington Hilton, where U.S. President Donald Trump and other senior officials were attending the high-profile event.
Background details show that he worked part-time with C2 Education, a tutoring firm, where he was recognised as “teacher of the month” in December 2024.
His academic history indicates he studied mechanical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, graduating in 2017, before earning a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Allen had also gained some attention as a student after developing a prototype braking system designed for wheelchairs, which was featured in a local report in 2017.
In addition to teaching, he identified himself as a video game developer and reportedly released an independent game titled Bohrdom on the Steam platform. He is also said to have registered a trademark for the project in 2018 and was working on another game under the working title “First Law.”
Further records show he made a $25 donation to Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in October 2024.
Authorities said the suspect was armed with multiple weapons and managed to get past a security checkpoint before being subdued by security agents.
The incident caused panic at the event, leading to the evacuation of top government officials and invited guests.
A Secret Service operative was struck during the shooting but survived after being protected by a bulletproof vest.
Officials say investigations are still ongoing to determine what motivated the attack.
