The man suspected of opening fire at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday night worked as a teacher and video game developer in Southern California, according to public records.
Cole Thomas Allen, 31, who lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance, has been identified by law enforcement as the gunman killed near the dinner, where President Trump, his wife Melania, Vice President Vance and other officials were gathered, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
A LinkedIn profile matching his name and photo describes him as a part-time teacher at C2 Education, a training company for tests and lessons. C2 named Allen the company's "Teacher of the Month" for December 2024, according to company social media posts. No one answered the C2 phone number late Saturday night.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Allen graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and received a master's degree in computer science from California State University-Domingues Hills last year.
According to Federal Election Commission records, Allen donated $25 to Kamala Harris' presidential campaign in October 2024.
According to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the suspect will be charged with two felonies.
Police believe the suspect fired the shot based on "preliminary information," said Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffrey W. Carroll.
Police said the suspect had multiple weapons at the time of the shooting. “attacked“ a Secret Service checkpoint.
He is believed to have been a guest at the Hilton Hotel, the site of the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
The suspect's target is “likely part of the investigation“, law enforcement officials said.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said authorities “have no reason to believe at this time that anyone else was involved“.
The suspected shooter is being treated at a local hospital, Bowser said.
Trump said he had spoken to the U.S. Secret Service agent who was shot “at very close range“ with a “very powerful gun“. He said the agent was in “great shape“ thanks to the protection of his bulletproof vest.
FBI Director Kash Patel urged the public to share “any information related to this event“. The FBI is examining ballistics and a long-barreled weapon from the scene and interviewing witnesses, Patel said.