The man arrested in the shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner, attended by US President Donald Trump, has been identified by US media as a mechanical engineer from California.
The man suspected of opening fire near the White House correspondents' dinner on Saturday has been identified by US media as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, a mechanical engineer and amateur video game developer from California.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
US President Donald Trump had posted a photo of the suspect's arrest on his Truth Social account, and social media profiles and photos have since circulated online that appear to match his appearance.
A LinkedIn profile that apparently belongs to the suspect described him as a part-time teacher and self-employed game developer. The profile description says he is a "mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth."
In the profile photo, Allen is seen wearing a cap and a gown after graduating with a master's degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills.
Allen earned a bachelor's degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Computer science professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills, Bin Tang, told press agency The Associated Press that Allen took a few of his classes and was a "very good student".
"[He was] always sitting in the first row of my class, paying attention, and frequently emailing me with coursework questions. Soft spoken, very polite, a good fellow. I am very shocked to see the news,” Tang said.
Allen's online profile states he has been working for six years as a teacher at C2 education, a company that offers private tutoring, admissions counselling and test preparation services to students preparing for college.
A 2024 Facebook post by the company showed Allen was listed as its teacher of the month.
He was staying as a guest at the Hilton hotel in Washington, where the annual press dinner was being held. He was reportedly carrying guns and knives when he stormed the lobby of the hotel. A video posted by Trump shows the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents run after him.
Several shots were fired outside the ballroom, where attendees included US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, other high-level US officials, journalists and celebrities.
According to CBS, the suspect told law enforcement officials he wanted to shoot Trump administration officials. Police believe he acted alone but did not elaborate on his intended target or motive.
The gunman was tackled to the ground and was not injured, but was evaluated at a hospital, police said.
He is expected in court on Monday and will face firearm and assault charges, including a count of assaulting an officer with a deadly weapon.