A man taken into custody after gunfire rang out at the White House Correspondents’ Assn. dinner on Saturday was identified by law enforcement sources as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance.
Allen was first publicly identified by the Associated Press, which cited unnamed law enforcement sources. Another official not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation told The Times that Allen was the suspect and that authorities were in the process of obtaining warrants to search addresses associated with him in Torrance.
The scene at the annual event in Washington turned chaotic when a man dashed toward the dining area and was met with gunfire. One hotel security guard said she observed the individual with a firearm. President Donald Trump was rushed offstage. One officer who was wearing a bulletproof vest was shot and was taken to a hospital. Trump told reporters during a press conference that the officer is “doing great.”
U.S. Atty. for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro says the suspect is being charged with two counts of using a firearm and one count of assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. Authorities said he had a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.
“This individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” Pirro said.
Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive.
In October 2024, Allen donated $25 to ActBlue, a political action committee that raises funds for Democrats, according to the Federal Election Commission. The money was earmarked for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. It was his only political donation listed on the FEC website in the past decade.
Allen, who is registered to vote with no party preference, graduated from CalTech in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering. While at CalTech, he was a member of the school’s Christian fellowship and the nerf club, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He was featured in a CalTech graduation announcement posted by the university in 2017 on Facebook, which included a picture of him as an adult wearing a cardigan and red tie and a photo of him as a beaming young child holding a stuffed bunny.
Allen also earned a master’s degree in computer science at Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2025, according to a commencement program. His LinkedIn profile picture shows him sitting in his cap and gown with the caption: “pretty sure my Master’s in CS is done.” On his profile he describes himself as a game developer, engineer, scientist and teacher.
Allen was named teacher of the month in December 2024 at C2 Education, which specializes in college test preparation, tutoring and academic advising. A representative for C2 Education was not immediately available for comment.
Dylan Wakayama, president of the Asian American Civic Trust, said Allen tutored several high school students who are members of the organization, a Torrance-based non-profit.
“They thought he was very intelligent, proficient in biology, mathematics and science. They thought he was on the nicer, quiet side. They were completely shocked when I told them that this all went down,” he said.
“I think all of us in Torrance would be shocked if this is the man who attempted to kill the president of the United States,” he said
In addition to his part-time work at C2 Education, he’s also self-employed, according to his LinkedIn, identifying as an “indie game developer.”
He registered a trademark in 2019 for “Bohrdom” an atomic fighting game he created and released on Steam, an online game platform. The game is described on the website as a “skill-based, non-violent asymmetrical fighting game loosely derived from a chemistry model that is itself loosely based on reality. Alternatively, think of it as a hybrid of a bullet hell and a racing game, with the inclusion of self-propelled pinballs.”
After Allen’s arrest, local and federal law enforcement swarmed the Torrance neighborhood where he apparently lived with his family. A gaggle of reporters and neighbors loitered in the drizzle around a multi-gabled house Saturday night as a helicopter hovered overhead.
Torrance police arrived, clearing the road and putting up police tape along part of the street. FBI officials also appeared on the scene.
A man who responded to a knock on the front door said, “Not right now,” and declined to comment further.
Colin, a 39-year-old neighbor who declined to give his last name citing privacy concerns, said the current residents of the home had just moved in six months ago.
“It’s tragic,” he said. “There’s no need for violence in this day and age.”
Another man, 50, who lives across the street and declined to provide his name to a reporter, said the family was friendly.
“We see them every day and we just say hi and they’re very nice,” he said. “They’re peaceful people, they don’t make any noise and when they see you they say hi.”
Staff writer Ben Wieder contributed to this report
