who is Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting?

Law enforcement officials said Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance in the Los Angeles area, was taken into custody following the shooting incident at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual media event was being held.

According to investigators, Allen was believed to have been a guest at the venue, though no motive has yet been established.

Publicly available online profiles and social media activity suggest Allen graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering and later earned a master’s degree in computer science in 2025 from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

His professional background reportedly includes part-time work as a teacher for a tutoring company, experience as an independent game developer, and previous employment as a mechanical engineer and teaching assistant. A LinkedIn profile attributed to him describes a long-standing involvement in science, engineering, and education-related work.

Additional online references indicate he was recognized as “Teacher of the Month” in late 2024 and had participated in academic robotics competitions during his time at Caltech.

Officials said Allen was armed with a shotgun during the incident and opened fire at a Secret Service agent before being detained inside the hotel. The shooting occurred outside a ballroom where President Donald Trump, the First Lady, Vice President JD Vance, and senior officials were present.

Investigators continue to examine the circumstances and possible motives behind the attack.