Suspected shooter identified after security breach at White House Correspondents' Dinner

A 31-year-old engineer and computer scientist was identified as the suspected shooter at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night. Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, was apprehended following the firing of shots at the Washington Hilton, where President Donald Trump was scheduled to deliver remarks. Several shots were heard outside the ballroom, after which Trump and Vice President JD Vance were immediately rushed off the stage by the United States Secret Service. Trump posted on Truth Social that the event should proceed, but it was eventually shut down. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the suspect charged a Secret Service checkpoint at the Hilton hotel and was intercepted by agents. MPD interim chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was carrying a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives. At a White House press conference, Trump said one Secret Service agent was shot but saved from serious injury by his bulletproof vest. No other injuries were immediately reported. The suspect was later transported to a local hospital to be evaluated. Carroll said he appears to be a lone actor. Allen graduated from Caltech in 2017 with a bachelor's in mechanical engineering and from California State University Dominguez Hills in 2025 with a master's in computer science. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has been employed part-time since March 2020 at C2 Education, a private company that helps students prepare for the SAT and ACT exams. Since 2018, he has self-identified as a self-employed indie game developer.