The suspect in Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting in Washington, D.C., has been identified by law enforcement officials and multiple reports as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. Reuters reported that a LinkedIn profile in his name listed a 2017 mechanical engineering degree from Caltech, and Caltech confirmed that a person with that name graduated that year. While online profiles linked to Allen describe him as a tutor, teacher and indie game developer.
Allen was arrested at the scene and is expected to face federal charges including assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer, according to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Authorities also said he was carrying a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. CBS News, citing law enforcement sources, reported that Allen had a history of firearm ownership, including the shotgun used in Saturday’s shooting, which was purchased in August 2025, and a semiautomatic pistol purchased in 2023.
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Allen is expected to appear in federal court Monday for arraignment, with additional charges possible as the investigation continues.
Authorities have not formally announced a final motive, but Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said investigators believe he set out to target Trump administration officials, likely including President Trump.
No attendees were seriously injured. A Secret Service agent was struck by gunfire, but officials said the agent’s bulletproof vest prevented more serious injury, and Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi confirmed the agent had been released from the hospital.
The shooting unfolded around 8:35 p.m. at the Washington Hilton, where the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was being held. Reuters reported that Allen fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent near a security checkpoint before being tackled and arrested. Many guests, including members of the White House press, quickly took shelter under their tables as Secret Service agents moved President Trump to safety.
Later, President Trump said on Truth Social that the shooter had been apprehended and later told reporters that officials believed the suspect acted as a “lone wolf.”
After Allen’s arrest, investigators began reviewing possible evidence, including writings, electronic devices and addresses connected to him. Separately, reporters and internet users began examining online profiles linked to Allen for background clues.
One LinkedIn profile matching his name and picture described him as a part-time teacher at C2 Education. CNN also reported that C2 recognized Allen as its “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024.
As per his LinkedIn profile, Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017. After that, he completed a master’s degree last year in computer science at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
His profile also listed him as a former member of Caltech’s Christian fellowship and Nerf club. In 2017, Caltech included him in a graduation post on Facebook, sharing both a recent photo of him in a cardigan and an older childhood photo of him holding a stuffed bunny.
That same year, he was also covered by a local news outlet for creating a prototype emergency brake designed for wheelchairs.
On LinkedIn, Allen also listed himself as a video game developer. He appears to have released an indie game called Bohrdom on Steam, where it is sold for $1.99.
The game is presented as a multiplayer fighting game inspired by chemistry, where the gameplay is built around electron interactions. On Steam, it is described as a “skill-based, non-violent asymmetrical fighting game loosely derived from a chemistry model that is itself loosely based on reality.”
Before the incident, Bohrdom appeared to be a very small indie release with limited public attention. Steam currently lists the game as having mixed user reviews, and its page shows Cole Allen as both the developer and publisher. Kotaku reported that Bohrdom drew renewed attention after Allen was identified, as people began examining his online background.
His LinkedIn profile also says that Allen was working on a second game called First Law, which he described as a top-down shooter/RPG focused on realistic 2D physics-based space combat. The project also appears to have had earlier names, including Artifact and Endgame, with Allen noting that the final title had not been decided.
