The suspect who opened fire at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday has been identified by security officials as Cole Thomas Allen of California.According to United States federal agencies, the 31-year-old gunman will be charged with two counts of “use of a firearm during a crime of violence” and “assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.”“The suspect passed the outermost layer of security at the event at which President Donald Trump was scheduled to speak because he was a guest of the hotel.teacher of the monthSocial media posts matching Allen’s suggest he is a tutor and amateur video game developer.A May 2025 profile picture of Cole Thomas Allen, of Torrance, California, appears to match the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted by President Donald Trump on Saturday night, according to news agency Associated Press.The photo posted on social networking site LinkedIn shows her in a cap and gown after earning a master’s degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills.His LinkedIn profile says he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in 2017 and lists his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that fights Nerf guns.A local ABC station in Los Angeles included an interview with Allen during his senior year of college as part of a story about new technologies to help people as they age. He also developed a prototype of a new type of emergency brake for wheelchairs.Additionally, according to federal campaign finance records, Allen contributed $25 to the Democratic Party’s political action committee in support of Kamala Harris running for president in 2024.Allen’s online resume states that he worked for the past six years at C2 Education, a company that provides admissions counseling and test preparation services to interested college students. Allen was listed as the company’s Teacher of the Month in a 2024 post on the company’s Facebook page. The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday night.Alan also posted that he has developed a video game for the Steam platform based on molecular chemistry. A post in Allen’s name stated that he was working to develop a new “top-down shooter” combat game set in outer space.‘sick man’Trump shared footage of the shooter on social media platforms, showing him lying on the ground with his hands tied behind his back.Addressing a press conference after the shooting, Trump said that the suspect was armed with several weapons before he was stopped by the Secret Service.“A man armed with several weapons attacked a security post, and was shot down by some very brave members of the Secret Service… One officer was shot, but survived…the vest worked. “I just spoke to the officer and he’s doing well,” Trump said.The President also said that charges would be filed soon.He said, “I hope you’ll see charges filed soon. The charges should be self-evident given the conduct, but as you’ll hear, there will be a number of charges related to the shooting ranging from firearms possession and anything else we can bring to this individual.”Describing the suspect as a “sick man”, Trump said he had been captured and warned that similar actions could be taken again.The US President said, “The guy has been captured. They’re going to his apartment. I think he lives in California and he’s a sick man… I said, very importantly, that we will do it again within the next 30 days, and we will make it bigger, and better, and even better.”
