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Cole Tomas Allen was identified as the suspected shooter, who opened fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of US President Donald Trump.
According to CBS News, Allen, 31, traveled by train from Los Angeles – where he lives and works as a teacher in nearby Torrance – first to Chicago and from there to Washington, DC. On Friday, he then checked into the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the Correspondents’ Dinner was taking place.
During the course of the investigation, details about Allen’s career became known: In 2017, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the renowned California Institute of Technology, followed in 2025 by a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
“Unlimited genius”
A former classmate told NBC News that Allen was “unlimitedly brilliant” and “absolutely grounded.” “Others learned hard,” said the classmate. “He didn’t have to. The material just came to him. He was really, really smart.”
While at CalTech, Allen was featured in a local news report in 2017 for developing a prototype emergency brake for wheelchairs.
In addition to his work as a teacher at a tutoring agency in Torrance, Allen’s LinkedIn profile states that he is also a self-employed video game developer – one of his games is said to be available on the Steam marketplace.
Firearm purchased legally
Law enforcement sources told CBS News that Allen legally purchased the shotgun used in Saturday’s attack in August 2025; He had already bought another firearm in 2023. After his arrest, a search warrant was obtained for his home in the Los Angeles area and his cell phone was confiscated. Allen did not cooperate with authorities, but people close to him spoke to investigators.
Federal campaign records show Allen donated $25 in 2024 to an ActBlue PAC tied to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. However, authorities said they were continuing to investigate the motive of the “lone perpetrator” who appeared to have targeted members of the Trump administration.
“We are still trying to understand a motive. Based on our preliminary investigation, the suspect appears to have targeted members of the administration,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN. “We don’t yet have any specific indication as to which members of the administration were targeted, other than we understand that that was his goal.”
More charges expected
Blanche added: “We are still determining what, if anything, we knew about this person. It appears that he acquired the two firearms he had with him in recent years. He also had knives with him.”
Allen is scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday where he will be charged with one count each of using a firearm to commit a violent act and one count of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon – with additional charges likely to follow.
“There are many other federal charges that could be considered beyond these two, but that depends on us understanding his motive, his intent and his forethought – what led him to do what he did,” Blanche said.
